Overcoming the fear of technology

What are the steps to overcoming the fear of technology?

First of all, full disclaimer, I have never had a fear of technology. I would say I am pretty fearless when it comes to technology. So why is that?

I think the first question when overcoming the fear of technology should be: Are there other things I fear or am less comfortable with, and of course, there are. Recently I was asked to carve the turkey for a Thanksgiving dinner. Having never been shown how to carve a turkey or any previous experience, I was nervous about doing it correctly. I have come across people who are very particular about how someone should carve a Turkey. The situation made me pretty uncomfortable; I was outside my comfort zone. In the end, I did an OK job in the process and learned along the way so that I would feel more comfortable next time.

When put into situations where we don’t feel as learned or competent, it can be a little stressful. Have you ever felt that way?

Those who jump at the chance at carving a roast will have done it plenty of times and probably shown how to in the first place. So ask yourself:

What are the things that you jump at the chance of doing because you feel adequately equipped?
Then ask yourself what makes you feel adept at doing those things?

I am pretty sure it will be because you have either done them before, trained, or have some knowledge about them.

Was there a time you weren’t as able in those areas as you are now?

Do any of those areas include some technology, like Zoom, for example?

When you might feel fearful of some technology, is it fear or feeling the effects of being outside your comfort zone?

We learn and grow when we are outside of our comfort zone.

So why am I fearless with technology? Partly because I grew in the ’80s when technology started to arrive in homes. My older brother was into video games and computers in the late ’70s and ’80s, so I grew up with it. Computer technology, in particular, became a passion of mine, so I have invested quite a bit of time learning, building new skills and gaining experience in that area.

Let’s get started overcoming the fear of technology for you.

So the first step in conquering any fear of using technology is to recognise it for what it is or is not. Most likely, it is not a phobia or anxiety, just being outside your comfort zone. People talk of being technophobes. In reality, a phobia is something that you are so fearful of that you wouldn’t be anywhere near it. So if you use any technology or are willing to give it a go, you are not likely to be a technophobe.

The second step is to build your confidence by picking a simple task to learn to do on the computer, phone or tablet. Then spend some time doing that task, so you remember how. Then try another simple task. You are now gaining more skills and experience. Continue doing this until you feel ready to try out something more advanced.

You can guarantee that there will be a youtube video on doing the task you want to do. If you don’t know how to use Youtube, I would suggest that as your first task and getting some help with that.

The third step is to know your goal. Devices are so powerful these days that you will struggle to know and learn all they can do. So set yourself a target of what you want to do. Clear goals give you something to aim at and be able to track your process.