A lot of technical training doesn’t work according to Techno Stress authors Larry Rosen, Ph.D and Michelle Weil, Ph.D. because the instructor is an Eager and early adopter, talks too fast, pushes the buttons too quickly, and assumes people in the audience have any chance of following along. By some reports, as many as one-third of attendees feel more stressed about technology than before they started a course.

Even technology classes that meet for only a short time impose problems since the teacher is usually a very excited eager adopter. Most trainers are eager adopters, and they can’t resist showing you something by just reaching over and pressing keys for you. This does little good.

Eager adopters tend to be excited, amazed, eager, great, successful, relaxed, frustrated on occasion, but generally pleased.

Hesitant prove-it types are uncomfortable around technology, uncertain, awkward, sometimes eager, sometimes excited and amazed, often feel “dumb”, hesitant, upset, annoyed, frustrated and self-conscious.

Techno-stress is worse in the executive suits. Many managers feel that increasing technology will lead to loss of privacy, information inundation, erosion of face-to-face contact, the need to continually learn new skills, and the danger of being passed over for promotion because others coming up the ladder are more technologically savvy.