Technology and Stress in the Workplace
             Western movies have always portrayed cowboys with guns on their hips. Whoever draws the fastest, got to live longer than their opponents. Twenty- first century technology has replaced the guns with cell phones, blackberries, laptop computers, palm-pilots and other electronic gadgets. Memos that used to be type-written then mailed, progressed to being faxed when fax machines were invented. Electronic mail replaced the type-written variety and made communication globally instantaneous. Internet technologies and e-mail demand that employees respond immediately to requests for information. Executives nowadays are expected to be reached at anytime, anywhere, enabling them to have access to many sources of information as they become available. Incoming trays in offices were slowly replaced by e-mail inboxes. James Sewell in his article Handling the Stress of the Electronic World, wrote that "the number of e-mail messages sent from businesses in North America has risen from 40 billion in 1995 to an estimated 1.4 trillion in 2001" (2003, para. 2).
             These improvements in technology have direct effects on stress in the workplace. They can relieve or cause stress, depending on the perception of the sender or the receiver. Speck defines stress as "reaction to pressure, which may be positive or negative" (1993, para. 3). Increased communication through the rampant use of cell phones and electronic mail between co-workers can both be an advantage and a disadvantage. The ability to rely on and base business decisions on the most recent information is definitely an advantage. "Just in time" communication is key to the growth and success of the business. However, receiving the average of 30 e-mails a day can prove to be a great distraction. "Many computers announce incoming mail with the "ding" of a bell, and users frequently stop what they are doing and turn to the screen" (Sewell, 2003, pa...