With increasing levels of automation in the workplace, people often grapple with unrecognized concerns over how that technology is impacting their jobs. More and more information is available in a wider variety of formats. Today's users expect more services and a greater level of service. Meanwhile this technology raises larger problematic issues. This has given rise to technological stress or “Technostress".
CRAIG BROD'S DEFINITION OF TECHNOSTRESS:
"A modern disease of adaptation caused by an inability to cope with the new computer technologies in a healthy manner. It manifests itself in two distinct ways: in the struggle to accept computer technology, and in the more specialized form of over identification with computer technology." (36)
Brod further elaborates the symptoms of technostress: "The primary symptom of those who are ambivalent, reluctant, or fearful of computers is anxiety. This anxiety is expressed in many ways: irritability, headaches, nightmares, and resistance to learning about the computer or outright rejection of the technology. Technoanxiety most commonly afflicts those who feel pressured by employers, peers, or the general culture to accept and use computers".
In fact, every one has been successfully dealing with technology for many years but technostress has not been eliminated yet. Technostress is not merely a mindset, it has roots beyond a possible psychological resistance on the part of individuals. Several components relate to the particular environment and social setting. Neither the individual nor the technology is solely responsible, rather, the interaction between the two can result in technostress. The effects of technostress on organizations can include low morale, declining productivity, and increasing absenteeism and turnover. Individuals may be affected with psychological and physiological problems such as frustration, aches and pains, etc. Technostress is identified with the fast pace of technological change. Sara Fine describes technostress as an essential process that occurs as a reaction to anxiety over change (37). This resistance is natural and needs to be respected so that the organization can evaluate the conditions within the organization, which are contributing factors. Problems with the implementation or usage of technology, and therefore, a possible means to counteract technostress are addressed in a new definition:
NINA DAVIS-MILLIS' defined it as "A condition resulting from having to adapt to the introduction and operation of new technology, particularly when equipment, support, or the technology itself is inadequate." (37)
WORK ALREADY DONE ON THE PROBLEM:
The work environment has changed drastically, today. Work has become more specialized with the pace being determined by the office machinery (especially computers), rather than by persons. In addition to long periods of sitting, repetitive activities (e.g., entering information using the keyboard), either monotonous or intensely focusing work adds to the physical and mental strain of the large number of persons who use computers at their work place or at home, nowadays (1-2). This physical and mental strain manifests as musculoskeletal, emotional, and visual problems (3). Especially, an increasing number of work- related neck and shoulder disorders have been attributed to constrained work postures and repetitive work tasks (4-5). One of the most common complaints associated with work at a computer (i.e.) a Visual Display Terminal, (VDT) is ‘eyestrain’ (6-7). It is generally understood that these problems are temporary (8). However, these visual problems cause inconvenience to the individual, reduce work efficiency and increase physical fatigue and mental stress (7). In addition to the visual, musculoskeletal (9) and mental /emotional (10) problems described above, prolonged and continued use of computers associated with other, diverse problems (e.g., causing or aggravating skin disease, such as seborrhoeic eczema and rosacea (11-12&13).
It is already known that persons experience higher levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline during work periods with computers (14). Adrenaline and noradrenaline are catecholamines. Increased excretion rates of catecholamines are associated with both underload and overload (stress) stimulation and emotional arousal (15). Other effects of the increased catecholamines levels, as part of sympathetic nervous responses, are increased heart rate and blood pressure and skin conductance level (SCL) (16). This has been observed in persons performing a computer task. Which is an indicator of increased sympathetic nervous reaction an indirect indicator of being "stressed" by computer use, is an increased jaw muscle electromyography while performing a computer task (17-18).
MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN
There is an increase in work-related musculoskeletal problems or repetitive strain injury (RSIs) (19), which is a syndrome, the collective name for a variety of disorders affecting especially neck, back, shoulder, hand, wrist and arm pain (20-21). Long periods of sitting are believed to be related to the development of musculoskeletal pain. Some studies have found that sitting more than five hours per day at a VD unit keyboard increases the chance of suffering cervicobrachial pain (22). This has resulted in a good deal of effort being focused on the ergonomic design of offices. Also, more attention is currently being paid to psychosocial factors that also may be related to neck and shoulder pain. Relatively high stress levels (23) have been found in clerical VD unit operators who constitute a large number of persons. Their most common stressors are workload, pace, lack of control over work activities, monotony, and job dissatisfaction and these produce physiologic stress reactions (24). These psychological work factors consequently may be important in the development of musculoskeletal pain problems (3). Two studies (osteoarthritis of hands and carpal tunnel syndrome) where yoga used as an intervention (25) show improvement pain in experimental group in compare to control.
A single blind randomized controlled trial in 42 employed or retired individuals from a geriatric center with carpal tunnel syndrome were selected. All the subjects were assigned in two matched paired groups. One group practice yoga, which consisting of 11 yoga postures designed for strengthening, stretching, and balancing each joint in the upper body along with relaxation, weekly twice for eight weeks, brought significant improvement in grip strength and pain reduction in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (26), as compared with a control group of patients who were given conventional treatment, including a wrist splint (27). Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common complication of repetitive activities (28) and causes significant morbidity. Persons who use VDU keyboards continuously, for long periods may be considered especially vulnerable. These musculoskeletal discomforts can be reduced by mild exercise (29-30) and yoga (31-32). Hence the project aims at introducing certain yoga practices (33-34) and relaxation (35) to reduce musculoskeletal symptoms in persons who use computer for long periods.
MENTAL STRESS
Computer technology places new demands on people. Some persons may experience difficulties in dealing with these demands and may experience stress. This type of stress has been called “Technostress" (36-37). Technostress is a modern disease of adaptation caused by on inability to cope with new computer technologies in a healthy manner. This “technostress" would be further aggravated by rapid pace of work required, deadlines, and general work pressure (38). Mental stress is known to convert to somatic symptoms, including those of the musculoskeletal system (10)
Yoga practice which includes breathing exercise, physical posture and relaxation (33- 35) has been shown to reduce physiological signs of mental stress, in normal persons (39).
c) RELEVANCE OF THE RESEARCH PROJECTS:
With the background that the previous studies (cited under work already done in this area), have not included about specific musculoskeletal assessments (motor functions) to measure computer related stress with a yoga intervention. This is especially important as based on a computer institutional survey report on 15th February 2000 by Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute, where all the software companies world wide are rated in different level of maturity based on their performance over a years. Out of 71 high level maturity (HLM) software institutions, 24 are located in India. (40), which gives the potentiality of this project for Indian software professional.
Yoga practice has been shown to be useful in improving vision, reducing musculoskeletal complaints, and well known to reduce mental stress (31-35). Hence yoga practice has a potential application for computer related health problems.
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