Technophobia

By Katherine Bilsborough

When I was searching for some information in the Internet I visited www.britishcouncil.org and found a very interesting article titled “Technophobia”. I have made up some tasks which can be done after reading the material. I hope you will find the contents of the article up-to-date, interesting and informative.

Technophobia – What?

Technophobe: Someone who does not like, trust, or want to use technology, especially computers. (Macmillan English Dictionary)
Technophobia is not a new term and technophobes have existed since the Industrial Revolution and probably for a lot longer in some shape or form. Today we are living in the Age of Technology. Things that were once deemed Science Fiction are becoming a reality. We either accept these changes and move with the times or we resist and become technophobes.

Technophobia – Why?

The reality is much simpler than saying that technophobes fear technological advance. Technophobes are anxious because the environment in which they live and work is changing. Most phobias are expressed by a strong physical reaction. People who are claustrophobic suffer palpitations and anxiety attacks when they are enclosed in a small area. An agoraphobic suffers in a similar way if they are exposed to the great outdoors. Technophobes, on the other hand, experience milder symptoms. They suffer feelings of self doubt and anxiety. They often feel insecure and obsolete. Some worry that they will lose their job because they cannot keep up with the times. In more extreme cases, technophobes convince themselves that technology will take over the world or that humans will be controlled by computers and robots. At other times they are afraid that if they press the wrong button on their keyboard, the computer will explode.

Technophobia – Who?

In most cases technophobes belong to older generations who were not brought up playing computer games and using mobile phones. They have never sent a text message or heard of an i-pod. Not only do they not possess a DVD, they still have not worked out how to use their VHS. These examples seem to validate the old saying: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. It is understandable that technophobia exists. Experts in the field of technology are becoming younger and younger. Being taught by somebody who is young enough to be your grandson goes against the laws of nature. Traditionally, information and knowledge has been passed down from older generations to younger generations. Young people were taught to respect their elders in part because of the knowledge they possess. If this system is turned upside down, then what happens to the respect for our elders?

Technophobia – The Answer

If ignorance is, in most cases, the cause of technophobia, then it follows that knowledge and learning is the way to rectify the situation. What technophobes need is information. Simple computer classes often prove highly successful, especially where the student groups are made up of peer groups; like-minded people of a similar age who are willing to learn but who have no desire to be patronised by fellow students who are twenty years younger and possibly quicker on the up-take. It is equally important that groups of technophobes who have decided “to give it a go” have an appropriate teacher; somebody as similar as possible to themselves in age. Somebody who will send out a message that says “If I can do it, then so can you”.

VOCABULARY:

phobia a strong unreasonable fear of something
claustrophobic the characteristic of a person who has a strong fear of being in a small enclosed space
palpitations when your heart beats quickly in an irregular way
agoraphobic a person who has fear of crowds and open spaces
insecure not feeling at all confident about yourself, your abilities, or your relationships with people
obsolete no longer useful, because something newer and better has been invented
keyboard a board with buttons marked with letters or numbers that are pressed to put information into a computer or other machine
explode to burst, or to make something burst
i-pod a small piece of electronic equipment for playing music which can store a very large amount of music which you get from the Internet
DVD digital video disc
validate to prove that something is true or correct
rectify to correct something that is wrong

Task 1. Say if these statements are true or false.

1. Technophobia is a new term. T/F
2. Today we are living in the Age of Technology. T/F
3. Most phobias are expressed by a strong physical reaction. T/F
4. Some people worry that they will lose their friends because they cannot keep up with the times. T/F
5. Experts in the field of technology are becoming older and older. T/F
6. In most cases lack of self-confidence is the cause of technophobia. T/F
7. Knowledge and learning is the way to rectify the situation. T/F

Task 2. Match the beginning of the sentence with its ending.

1. Technophobes have existed...
2. Technophobes are anxious because...
3. In more extreme cases, technophobes convince themselves that...
4. In most cases technophobes belong to...
5. Being taught by somebody who is young enough to be your grandson...
6. What technophobes need...
7. Simple computer classes often prove...
8. It is equally important that groups of technophobes...

A. goes against the laws of nature.
B. have an appropriate teacher.
C. since the Industrial Revolution.
D. is information.
E. technology will take over the world.
F. the environment in which they live and work is changing.
G. older generations.
H. highly successful.

Task 3. Answer the questions.

1. What kind of person is called a technophobe?
2. What do technophobes fear?
3. What other phobias do you know?
4. Why do people become technophobes?
5. Do you agree with the saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”? Explain your answer.
6. What is the solution to the problem of technophobia?
7. Do you fear technological advances? Why or why not?

Task 4. Summarize the contents of the article using the words and word combinations below.

to use technology, to resist changes, to fear technological advance, self doubt, anxiety, to feel insecure and obsolete, to keep up with the times, to belong to older generations, computer games, mobile phones, to send a text message, an i-pod, a DVD, experts in the field of technology, ignorance, to rectify the situation, computer classes.

Task 5. Read the quotations below and comment on them.

• “Technology is the knack of so arranging the world that we don’t have to experience it.” (Max Frisch)

• “Men have become the tools of their tools.” (Henry David Thoreau)

• “Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.” (Gertrude Stein)

• “The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.” (B. F. Skinner)

• “We’ve arranged a civilization in which most crucial elements profoundly depend on science and technology.” (Carl Sagan)

• “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” (Alan Kay)

• “One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.” (Elbert Hubbard)

Task 6. Different people have different phobias and fears. Read an extract from “The Way Up to Heaven” by Roald Dahl. Decide which answer A, B or C best fits each place and fill in the gaps. What are the reasons for Mrs. Foster’s fear to your mind?

All her life, Mrs. Forster had had an almost pathological (1)_______ of missing a train, a plane or a boat. In other respects, she was not a particularly (2)_______ woman, but just the idea of being late on (3)_______ like this would throw her into such a state of nerves that she would begin to (4)_______.

It was extraordinarily how in certain people a simple (5)_______ about a thing like catching a train can grow into a serious (6)_______. At least half an hour before it was time to leave the house for the station, Mrs. Forster would (7)_______ of the elevator all ready to go, with hat and coat and gloves, and then, being quite (8)_______ to sit down, she would move (9)_______ in all directions from room to room until her husband, who must have been well (10)_______ of her state, finally (11)_______ in a cool dry voice that perhaps they had better be going now, had they not?

1. A. anger 2. A. nervous 3. A. cases 4. A. to jerk 5. A. apprehension 6. A. illness 7. A. leave out 8. A. impossible 9. A. restlessly 10. A. known 11. A. cried

B. fear B. mad B. occasions B. to shake B. idea B. trouble B. step out B. unable B. speedily B. informed B. suggested

C. possibility C. stupid C. situations C. to twitch C. thought C. obsession C. jump out C. irresistible C. awfully C. aware C. acclaimed

KEY: 1. B; 2. A; 3. B; 4. C; 5. A; 6. C; 7. B; 8. B; 9. A; 10. C; 11. B