Reading exercise: The negative aspect of the technological surge

The way we work and the structure of our offices are changing rapidly. Waves of cutting-edge information technology and instant telecommunications enable us to connect with anyone, anywhere, emphasizing speed. Many of us are too busy trying to keep up with constant innovations to question the implications of our new electronic authority figures. According to several psychologists, however, the need to stay abreast of information flow and our deep connection with our workplaces exact a significant toll on us as individuals.

The widespread exposure to technological advancements in the workplace is relatively recent, making it difficult for psychologists to unanimously agree on its societal implications. Nonetheless, many acknowledge that one of the initial signs of adapting to the electronic office is often 'technostress,' a cognitive shift resulting from excessive reliance on information systems. Psychologist Craig Brod suggests that people become accustomed to the patterns established by electronic tools – accelerated pace and binary logic – and internalize these patterns. When individuals leave the office or return home, Brod notes, they require complete isolation to recuperate from the effects of technology.

Brod cautions that excessive dependence on electronic tools could also severely impact our ability to think creatively and generate new ideas. Since creativity does not flourish in isolation, he underscores the importance of avoiding the temptation to replace informal gatherings for brainstorming with electronic networking. Moreover, it becomes more challenging to detect errors or evaluate the progress of a project when it is displayed in a flat, two-dimensional form on a screen.

Electronically interconnected offices can also increasingly challenge our perception of fulfilling our duties and gathering sufficient information to make informed decisions. Philosopher Daniel Dennett emphasizes that modern technology eliminates the excuse of unavoidable ignorance. As the opportunity to accumulate information expands, the responsibility to make accurate predictions – the right decisions – becomes more burdensome. Instead of reassuring ourselves that we are doing the best job possible, we are haunted by the awareness that the realm of information is boundless.

For executives near the summit of the corporate hierarchy, the advantages of the digital revolution – such as remote work and flexible scheduling – might outweigh the drawbacks of constant availability. However, in their book Workplace 2000, authors Joseph Boyett and Henry Conn envision a future where millions of individuals responsible for analyzing information and making routine decisions will be replaced by less skilled workers using 'intelligent' software to make decisions on their behalf. They foresee a culture of striving for superior performance engulfing most businesses.

At the lower rungs of electronic hierarchies, millions of individuals are increasingly likely to spend their days in isolated settings, subservient to intelligent information systems that report their progress to distant, unseen supervisors. Since computers measure both quantity and quality, such systems tend to reward employees who work faster more than those who work better.

Service personnel on the phone or at cash registers abruptly end attempts at casual conversation because their performance is under electronic scrutiny. Once evaluated based on their ability to handle unforeseen situations, they are now assessed by metrics like the number of transactions completed in a shift or the keystrokes required to draft a response. In these settings, it seems the computers are controlling the people, not the other way around.

“I think people are going to feel an increased fragmentation of self. They won’t be able to hold the pieces together,’ human resources consultant Philip Nicholson says. “How do you keep a coherent space if you’re going in and out of spaces that don’t exist?’ He likens the psychic numbing of electronic information overload to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (a mental condition following a traumatic event). In the 'office wars', individuals become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of available information, internalize the diversity of the external world, and fear losing their own identity.

According to Nicholson, in order to navigate the challenges presented by information-driven, technology-intensive offices, we must establish psychological support systems. As the social costs of the workplace revolution remain unmeasured, some psychologists are mobilizing efforts to aggregate emerging data. Nicholson initiated the Technostress International Information Network in Massachusetts to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas regarding the impacts of computerization and information technology. Meanwhile, Brod proposes examining the parallels between electronic work environments and enclosed ecological systems like space capsules or submarines – fully automated artificial worlds where individuals live in highly confined conditions shaped by technology that dictates their daily routines and survival. He is urging fellow psychologists to persuade the American Psychological Association to establish a specialized study group.

Furthermore, Brod advocates for a reassessment of our ethical frameworks and calls for greater emphasis on privacy protections to preempt potential backlash against technology. ‘We must evolve alongside technology,’ he asserts. “While these tools are invaluable, if we exploit them without imposing appropriate ethical guidelines, they risk becoming alienating and perilous.’

Questions 1-3

Match each sentence with the correct ending, A-E, provided below.

Record the correct letter, A-E, in boxes 1-3 on your answer sheet.

1  The speed of technological changes

2  A dependency on technology and computers

3  A deterioration in personal service

A requires more detailed study by psychologists.

B means people have no time to challenge the significance of the new technology.

C may reduce inventiveness and innovation.

D suggests computers will take over the workplace.

E results from increased electronic supervision.

Questions 4-9

Examine the statements (Questions 4-9) and the roster of individuals below.

Match each statement with the correct person or people, A, B, c or D.

Write the correct letter, A, B, c or D, in boxes 30-35 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

4 Technology has placed greater expectations on workers not to make mistakes.

5 People will need time away from technology to reduce the frustrations caused by it.

6 Interacting with others at work contributes to creative thinking.

7 The psychological effect of working with technology is similar to the anxiety felt after surviving a major ordeal.

8 Technology will ultimately increase unemployment for more highly qualified personnel.

9 More counselling is required to help people cope with the demands of the modern workplace.

List of Individuals

A Craig Brod

B   Daniel Dennett

C  Joseph Boyett and  Henry Conn

D   Philip Nicholson

Questions 10-14

Are the following statements consistent with the information provided in the Reading Passage?

Record your answers in boxes 10-14 on the answer sheet.

TRUE               if the statement agrees with the information

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this

10 Our knowledge of the effects of technology on workers is still limited.

11 An early indicator of technological anxiety is a tendency to adopt machine-like thinking.

12 We have now started to doubt our ability to perform well at work.

13 Top level managers may be more negatively affected by changes electronic workplace than junior workers.

14 Employees who learn to use new technology quickly will get promoted.

Responses

1. B (Đoạn 1, “Most of the US are too busy struggling to keep pace with ongoing innovations to question the implications of our new electronic authority figures.”)

2. C (Đoạn 3, “Brod warns that over-reliance on electronic tools could also have serious repercussions on our ability to think creatively and develop new ideas.”)

3. E (Đoạn 4, “Instead of consoling ourselves that we’re doing as good a job as we can, we are tormented by the knowledge that the world of information is limitless.”)

4. B (Đoạn 4, “As the opportunity to amass information grows larger, the obligation to make accurate predictions – the right decisions – becomes more onerous.”)

5. A (Đoạn 2, “ When they leave the office or go home, Brod says, they need complete isolation to recover from the effects of the technology.”)

6. A (Đoạn 3, “…replace informal gatherings for bouncing ideas off colleagues with electronic networking.)

7. D (Đoạn 8, “He likens the psychic numbing of electronic information overload to symptoms of post- traumatic stress syndrome (a mental disorder following a horrific event).”)

8. C (Đoạn 5, “authors Joseph Boyett and Henry Conn describe a future in which millions of people now charged with analyzing information and making routine decisions will be replaced by less skilled workers using ‘intelligent’ software to make decisions for them.’)

9. D (Đoạn 9, “In office ‘wars’, people become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information available, internalize the diversity of the world outside, and fear losing their own lives.”)

10. TRUE (Đoạn 1, “Most of US are too busy struggling to keep pace with ongoing innovations to question the implications of our new electronic authority figures’)

11. TRUE (Đoạn 2, “Many agree, however, that one of the first signs of the struggle to adapt to the electronic office is often ‘technostress, a cognitive shift that results from an over-identification with information systems.”)

12. TRUE (Đoạn 4, “Instead of consoling ourselves that we’re doing as good a job as we can, we are tormented by the knowledge that the world of information is limitless.”)

13. NOT GIVEN (Không có thông tin)