Computerphobia in Adult Learners

With the increasing importance of technology in our lives, incidences of adults experiencing anxiety about technology (`technophobia') are on the increase. The eld of technology that has advanced most rapidly in the last 40 years is that of computers and microelectronics. Thus, `com-puterphobia' (or`computer anxiety') is a particularly striking example of the eeects of the rapid growth of our technological society. Though com-puterphobia can aaect young and old alike, it can be considered diierent in adults and children for the same reasons that education can be considered diierent for these groups. For example , Knowles 12] cites diierences in self-concept, in experience, in readiness to learn, and in time perspective as some of the main attitudes distinguishing learning in children and adults. For many years no distinction was made between the education of adults and the education of children , but educational theorists such as Malcolm Knowles have spent a great deal of time trying to convince other educators of this distinction. Only relatively recently has Andragogy 12], the art and science of teaching adults, been distinguished from Pedagogy, the art and science of teaching children. Analogously, these diierences are also found in the eeect of and cures for com-puterphobia: self-concept | children tend tòbrush-oo' failure , adults do not; experience | \To an adult, his experience is him"|thus, if an adult cannot master some discipline, their experience and consequently their self-image are questioned; readiness | children are often more willing and more able to learn and accept new ideas than adults; time | children are often unafraid of failure as they feel they can always learn later; adults are less likely to feel that they can`get it right later'. Thus, the reduction of computerphobia in adults can be seen as a speciic kind of adult education. Further, curing their anxiety is often seen by the adults themselves as a form of education. They seek to improve themselves (for whatever reasons, see section) by reducing their phobia while increasing their knowledge and competence. In undertaking such a task, the degree of independence and self-motivation is usually quite high. In this essay, I will attempt to relate some of the causes and symptoms of computerphobia and evaluate, from an educational point of view, some of the solutions that have been proposed. I will begin by uncovering what the underlying causes of computerphobia are. The rapid advance of technology is having profound …