Stress

Some of the ways that ICT systems can cause stress for workers:

• Many people are afraid of computers and fear that they will be left behind or made redundant if they are unable to learn new ICT skills quickly enough and keep up with the younger more computer-literate generation;
• ICT systems make information instantly available wherever you are. Mobile phones, pagers, portable computers and the Internet make it possible to work anywhere. This means that some people find it virtually impossible to forget about work and relax.
• The amount of information that ICT systems can produce is often far too much for anyone to take in. This results in ‘information overload’, which causes workers to become stressed by the feeling that they can’t cope with the information that they are receiving. 
• Workers can be monitored using ICT systems — the feeling of being constantly ‘watched’ caused by this can be very stressful.