Exposure to new workplace technologies linked to lower quality of life

“Undue pressures and the introduction of new technologies certainly add to the concern of ‘being kept up at night’ when they lack the complete understanding or resources to integrate securely or properly within the organization,” he said. “Added to that, when upper management wants to use the product or service insecurely, it’s always the IT or cybersecurity folks who deal with the blame when something happens to the organization, like a breach or data loss.”

Phones linked with improved morale

On the other hand, the surveyed workers reported improved quality of life when they regularly used more established information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as laptops, tablets, smartphones, and messaging tools. Over 60% frequently engaged with these digital devices.

“We found that quality of life appeared to be positively correlated with the frequency of interaction with ICTs… whereas a negative correlation was observed between quality of life and the frequency of interaction with newer workplace technologies,” the study said.

Part of the problem is that IT workers need to stay updated with the newest tech trends and figure out how to use them at work, said Ryan Smith, founder of the tech firm QFunction, also unconnected with the study. The hard part is that new tech keeps coming in, and workers have to learn it, set it up, and help others use it quickly, he said.

“With the rise of AI and machine learning and the uncertainty around it, being asked to come up to speed with it and how to best utilize it so quickly, all while having to support your other numerous IT tasks, is exhausting,” he added. “On top of this, the constant fear of layoffs in the job market forces IT workers to keep up with the latest technology trends in order to stay employable, which can negatively affect their quality of life.”

The most significant impact of new technology is the increased demands it places on the time of IT workers, said Dean Newton, a general partner at investment firm Relevance Ventures but with no connection to the study.