This is your brain on good and bad technology
Good technology can give a remote worker the same emotional reaction as seeing a puppy, according to Dell Technologies and EMOTIV, a neuroscientific research firm.
The finding comes amid a host of data points from Dell's Brain on Tech study. With EMOTIV, Dell measured emotional reactions to technology. The pair studied stress responses and emotions like frustration and excitement using EMOTIV's EPOC+ Brainwear device, a simulated work environment, cognitive tasks using Excel, a good PC and one that was intentionally bugged.
Dell said the results confirmed that the use of technology--both good and bad--directly impacted productivity and how employees feel. What was surprising was the extent of the tech effect amid work from anywhere plans.
Among key findings:
- Businesses that provide good technology have employees that are up to 40% more productive.
- Employees under 26 took the largest productivity--up to 30%--hit when technology was bad.
- Employees with good technology experience feelings on par with watching puppy videos.
- Employees are twice as stressed when they use bad technology.
- Good technology can save employees 15 hours in a 40-hour work week.
- Bad technology led to an increase in EEG-based cognitive stress (29%) greater than being forced to sing in public.
- Complex log-in processes with difficult passwords resulted in a sudden jump in cognitive stress level.