The term ‘technology dependency’ seems to appear a lot more lately, and this is especially true among young professional in the workplace.
The introduction of tech into the office has brought several advantages such as improved productivity, reduced expenditure and greater flexibility for employees.
However, while the use of modern technology has brought us numerous conveniences, it has also brought negative impact such as excessive dependency on technology, which in turn leads to stress, anxiety and lower productivity.
The following are some things to consider as you try to reduce technology dependency in your workplace:
Reduce screen time
One of the most powerful negative impacts of technology dependency is that it can send your brain into overdrive.
This is mainly due to the constant exposure to overflowing information; thus, making it easier for you to feel overwhelmed at your workplace.
And given how easily we can become distracted by the Internet, you have to find the discipline to reduce the use of tech at work, even if it’s just for a little while.
For instance, try to get a break from your laptop screen during lunchtime or avoid looking at your phone at specific times of the day.
Focus on soft skills
These days, communication tools and apps have made it easier for people to communicate regardless of their location and as a result, most of us end up dreading face-to face interactions.
By practicing your soft skills during meetings and discussion, you will find it useful for overcoming conflicts and negotiation, empathy and managing a diverse group of people in your workplace.
Apart from that, digital communication does not convey facial gesture and tone of voice, thus making misinterpretation common.
So, by encouraging personal, face-to-face communication, you can minimise these effects and grow your interpersonal skills.
Create boundaries
The use of digital devices has become so common in the workplace that we don’t realise they can sometimes hamper our intellectual abilities and competence, as well as ‘de-skilling’ us.
Those among us, who depend too much on tech, will end up lacking certain skills and this includes writing skills.
Given how technology can affect our work productivity, it’s important to create boundaries, such as by not using it after office hours as a way to counter issues related to anxiety or stress.
In the future, our dependence on tech looks likely to increase, so it’s important that we’re able to find the right balance in our work life so that it can continue to benefit us in a holistic way.
This is a weekly column by SarawakYES! – an initiative driven by Faradale Media-M Sdn Bhd and supported by Angkatan Zaman Mansang (AZAM) Sarawak – to provide advice and stories on the topics of education and careers to support Sarawakians seeking to achieve their dreams. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
This article first appeared on The Borneo Post, published in the print version on Saturday, November 16, 2019.
