What are the impacts of technology in the workplace?

Technology has impacted our lives. It's everywhere and we used it all the time for our everyday lives. When it comes to the workplace, there has been a fair share of positives and negatives of using technology at work. In this blog entry, I'll be going to talk about the negative impacts and how it can be improved.


The first negative impact I'm going to talk about is how technology can reduce productivity.

When it comes to productivity in the workplace, employees can get distracted by their digital devices and become disinterested in their task. The most common digital device is a smartphone in which one seems to be constantly check on their phones for any messages or updates instead of working,

The second impact is the lack of privacy. 

It is easy for bosses to monitor what the employee does online whether it is related to work or leisure and where they are. Employees who have done nothing wrong would be trouble free but there are some bosses who would take it too far by invading the privacy of employees. Bosses need to take caution and become aware of what rights workers have when it comes to their privacy. In addition, they should consider how much is considered too much when it comes to checking every movement and action employees are doing.

Third impact is that technology can act as a distraction to the work.
 
Similar to the first point, distraction plays the focal point of the workplace and it can be harmful at times. According to a 2019 blog post titled "Negative impact of technology in the workplace", a study has been made by Cognitive scientist Gloria Mark who says that employees compensate for interruptions by working faster and therefore it leads to stress, frustration and pressure and poor productivity.

The fourth one is the lack of "real connection" or physical connection.

Although technology enables employees to engage in their tasks and relationships across distances, this can come as the expense of regular face-to-face conversations and connections. With devices and social media always demanding their attention, it causes neglect to their co-workers and bosses and therefore, their social structure has been altered.


And lastly, being constantly dependent on technology can affect an employee's mental health. Most commonly anxiety and depression.

Too much information can not only be distracting but it can potentially damage an employee's mental health. Knowing that they're living in a world with a infinite amount of information and time, it can often result in a phenomenon called Fear of Missing Out or in their abbreviation, FOMO. Not only information overload can affect their mental health, constantly checking on social media and viewing what others are posting. Their lives are glamorized with positive news, achievements and other triumphs would make employees compare themselves to others and questioned if their lives are pale by comparison.

Knowing how it works, let's talk about these negative impacts can be solved.
In productivity, what managers or bosses can do is to encourage workers to become productive by motivating and uplift them.

Privacy is important and if employees feel like theirs has been invaded, they should speak to the manager to deal with this situation and if they can't

If employees are distracted by technology, they can take a break, go out and get some fresh air or converse with their colleagues or boss. If their minds are cleared, they proceed to continue to do their work.

For physical connection, leaders and managers can create an activity for employees to work together to complete a task. They need to be connected with their employees at various levels. Employees’ engagement with work is related to manager-employee connection, which is affected due to communicating through gadgets.

When it comes to mental health, managers should constantly check on their employees and ask if they're okay. They should also provide help and assurance.

Sources;
Don't Ignore the Negative Effects of Technology at Work  by Andie Burjek (2018)
https://www.workforce.com/news/dont-ignore-negative-effects-technology-work
How does technology impact the workplace? by Natalie Harris-Briggs (2018)
https://www.avocor.com/blog/how-does-technology-impact-the-workplace/
Negative impact of technology in the workplace (2019)
https://factsuite.com/blog/negative-impact-of-technology-in-the-workplace/
Negative impacts of technology in the workplace (2018)
https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/behavioral-economics/negative-impact-technology-business.html
Negative Impact of Technology on Your Workplace Productivity by Jappreet Sethi (2019)
https://www.humanresourcesblog.in/2019/07/05/negative-impact-of-technology-on-your-workplace-productivity/