Balancing Tech and Well-being: Insights Revealed by Dr. Erik Peper
Have you observed how you feel unusually tired or unnecessarily wired up at the end of a long day of screen-facing work? Do you catch yourself in the middle of a tech-heavy day and notice your breathing is shallow? More people have reported feeling this way as the pandemic forced the work-from-home life on us. These are just potential symptoms that you could be experiencing due to increased exposure to technology. Dr. Erik Peper and his collaborators refer to this as ‘Tech Stress’.
Over the past few years, Dr. Erik Peper in collaboration with Dr. Richard Harvey and Nancy Faass has conducted extensive research on how tech affects our bodies and our stress levels.
As part of our Expert Series, we sat down with Dr. Peper to talk about the ways in which stress affects our lives and how to combat tech stress and our complex relationship to it.
Modern life is tech-driven so why is this something we need to address?
Tech Stress in a Growing Generation
There is a troubling rise in tech addiction, particularly in what Dr. Peper calls “the cellphone native generation”. While the pandemic has thrown light on the troubling effects, one can track the rise in mental illness since 2008 in ages 18-24, including a rise in suicidal thoughts and depression.
In a pandemic and post-pandemic workforce, the commonly reported “zoom fatigue” or the "sitting disease" has increasingly led to complaints of neck and shoulder pains as well as eye strain which in turn affects mental health.
In Search of Higher Productivity and Efficiency
So, are we doomed to fall into the traps of tech? Or is there a way out? How do we step away from tech when we have to depend on it on a daily basis?
Our host, Vivek, mused about the same point in our interview. Dr. Peper emphasizes the importance of practical solutions and using tools to grow awareness. Some tools we can use include biofeedback and posture awareness. In the corporate world, technology is a competitive advantage, but balance is crucial.
At PREMUS, WDPI, & Myopain, Dr. Peper’s and Dr. Harvey’s symposium talk through the implications and tools one can use to introduce these tools into our daily lives.
A Healthier
Tomorrow
Dr. Erik Peper's insights reveal tech stress's hidden consequences. What can we do to combat them and how do we live a fuller life that is less anxious? In order to fully succeed, a healthy mix of awareness, family and community support, and mindful living is important.
To hear more about this, watch the full interview on YouTube.
You can also find this episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
At PREMUS, WDPI, & Myopain 2023, Dr. Erik Peper and Dr. Richard Harvey are giving a symposium titled ‘Innovative strategies for WRMSD prevention’
Balancing Tech and Well-being: Insights Revealed by Dr. Erik Peper
Have you observed how you feel unusually tired or unnecessarily wired up at the end of a long day of screen-facing work? Do you catch yourself in the middle of a tech-heavy day and notice your breathing is shallow? More people have reported feeling this way as the pandemic forced the work-from-home life on us. These are just potential symptoms that you could be experiencing due to increased exposure to technology. Dr. Erik Peper and his collaborators refer to this as ‘Tech Stress’.
Over the past few years, Dr. Erik Peper in collaboration with Dr. Richard Harvey and Nancy Faass has conducted extensive research on how tech affects our bodies and our stress levels.
As part of our Expert Series, we sat down with Dr. Peper to talk about the ways in which stress affects our lives and how to combat tech stress and our complex relationship to it.
Modern life is tech-driven so why is this something we need to address?
Tech Stress in a Growing Generation
There is a troubling rise in tech addiction, particularly in what Dr. Peper calls “the cellphone native generation”. While the pandemic has thrown light on the troubling effects, one can track the rise in mental illness [since 2008](https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/03/mental-health-adults#:~:text=The rate of young adults,distress during corresponding time periods.) in ages 18-24, including a rise in suicidal thoughts and depression.
In a pandemic and post-pandemic workforce, the commonly reported “zoom fatigue” or the "sitting disease" has increasingly led to complaints of neck and shoulder pains as well as eye strain which in turn affects mental health.
In Search of Higher Productivity and Efficiency
So, are we doomed to fall into the traps of tech? Or is there a way out? How do we step away from tech when we have to depend on it on a daily basis?
Our host, Vivek, mused about the same point in our interview. Dr. Peper emphasizes the importance of practical solutions and using tools to grow awareness. Some tools we can use include biofeedback and posture awareness. In the corporate world, technology is a competitive advantage, but balance is crucial.
At PREMUS, WDPI, & Myopain, Dr. Peper’s and Dr. Harvey’s symposium talk through the implications and tools one can use to introduce these tools into our daily lives.