In association with dell technologies

The top three things on every millennial’s fantasy wish list will always be earphones that don’t tangle in your pocket, eating pizza without taking on the calories, and mental peace! I mean, we’re simple-minded people even though boomers roll their eyes at us sometimes.

Now while wishing for all of the things above, the one thing we folks would love to get rid of is our inherent procrastinating personalities! The need to be productive is so real I can’t even. The world we live in is brutal, competitive, and will-make-you-run-out-of-breath-the-minute-you-start-adulting. So there’s no doubt that stress and anxiety have become this generation’s middle name. Living in a highly competitive environment constantly trying to get ahead has left us almost burnt out. Since the lockdown began, despite the world “slowing” down, technology geared up as it became the sole connection between us and the outside world.

Moreover, when we began working from home, our devices became the only binding force between our organisations and us employees. This shift in the world we now lived in multiplied the need for successful technology by a thousand times. 

Early on in 2020, Dell Technologies joined forces with EMOTIV to assess the emotional impact technology has on us. The first-ever ‘Brain on Tech’ study measured how interactions with technology make our brains work and feel. The results of the study revealed how the use of good technology (like updated software and hardware) and bad technology (like laggy laptops and computers) directly impact productivity across all age groups. 

It’s easy to go on living with blinders in a technologically advanced and dependent world. However, this interesting study cracks open the concealed world of good and bad technology while shedding light on how technology really affects us. So here are 10 ways technology inevitably affects and alters stress and anxiety.

1. Loss or accidental deleting of work.

The study reveals that employees that suffered a loss of spreadsheet data, or any form of their work experienced a 17% increase in stress levels in just 8 seconds! That’s a boost none of us are looking for now are we?

2. Typos and login malfunctions. 

We’ll all had days when we overslept or missed our alarms only to wake up in a panic trying to login into work on time. According to the study, on days like this and otherwise, password log-in malfunctions into a computer under time pressure increased stress by 31% within five seconds.

3. Laggy tech adds a ton of stress to your days. 

The study reveals that, employees that have bad technology experiences during their workday feel twice as stressed, which is almost 30% more stressful than being asked to sing a song in public

4. High stress moments make it harder to relax. 

Millennials and GenZers experiencing high stress moments take three times longer to relax and recover even when listening to relaxing music, compared to those experiencing less stressful moments in the workday.

5. Tech literacy doesn’t always help. 

The study revealed that a bad technology experience hinders employee performance by more than 30% on average, regardless of a user’s pre-existing computer literacy.

6. Increased productivity with good tech.

The study stressed (see what I did there?) how the usage of good technology can boost productivity up to an astounding 37% more in a workday. Employees working with good technology experienced feelings equivalent to watching videos of puppies.

7. Good technology saves time.

Based on the findings of the study, for every hour worked, good tech can save employees 23 minutes per hour or fifteen hours in a 40-hour work week.

8.  Employee-friendly tech affects everyone.

Despite how tech literate an employee is, it is good technology that boosts productivity and reduces stress and anxiety. Hence it is important to have employee-friendly technology that can be operated, made portable, and customised according to the workload of the individual. 

9. New up to date technology and devices leads to excitement.

The study measured excitement once employees received and used new updated technology. The change of equipment induced more excitement than receiving a monetary reward upon completion of the experiment.

10. Timely technology refreshes can also benefit stress levels.

The study states that, a timely refresh of the technology we work on alters our stress levels. When old technology is swapped out for new technology with a minimum amount of setup fuss, it leads to a more productive outcome.

There’s no doubt that technology helps us connect, learn, get work done, and reimagine our daily lives. Yet as we rely more on technology, we become more sensitive to its performance and the good and bad ways it affects us.

Through this study, Dell Technologies believes that businesses can combat fatigue and stress by making sure employees are working on the best technology possible. It should be easy to use, reliable, offer strong performance, be flexible to work in different work scenarios, and support the individual needs of the user. To achieve that, Dell Technologies recommends refreshing hardware and software every three years. Automate the process by making access and set up on new tech effortless and provide a solid IT help desk underneath to address any problems that arise. 

So, how many points did you nod (or go into deep thought about) at? You can read more about the study here and here