Regulatory technophobia and digital fears

Before technologies amaze, fascinate or cause addiction, they provoke fear. At first, the technologies and their effects are unknown and that feeling of uncertainty is frightening. Fear in turn triggers immediate reactions such as paralysis, fight or desire to flee. One of the political species that most fears technological progress and digitization are the regulators.

At some point in its initial development, technologies and digital progress bring out our most instinctive, conservative and traditional side. It is not uncommon for older people to fear them and prefer not to approach them, although out of wisdom they end up accepting that technology is very useful.

There is a personality disorder called “technophobia”. An extreme fear of technology. Technophobes are afraid of Artificial Intelligence, robots, computers or smartphones. It is not only resistance to accept and learn. People with this condition become obsessed with technology, or go to great lengths to avoid incorporating it into their daily lives.

Technophobia is widespread, it is located in all areas of life and in all social classes. For example, human rights activists and defenders fear video surveillance, the tracking of personal data and the invasion of privacy.

The bourgeoisie and the owners of the means of production such as factories, industries and manufactures (businessmen) fear the automation and digital transformation of their industries and delay as long as they can the investments that would even make them grow and lead more in their business.

One of the symptoms generated by digital and technological fear is wanting to shoot the regulatory triggers right away. They don’t know how, sometimes or why, but politicians then-then want to regulate, present bills and “appease” their fears, once their technophobia has also triggered their political survival instinct.

The technophobes in government, regulators or congresses, who have to witness technological progress or the development of the Internet, do not take it as an opportunity but almost always react in the same way: faced with the feeling of anguish and mistrust caused by the presence of a real or imagined technological or digital danger, they put the law ahead.

Almost always this law, rule or regulation is obsolete; it arose before the technological advance, but they intend to apply it to the new, the changing, unknown or flexible; and regulates traditional or past markets, services or practices.

In the best of cases, they seek to modify or create a regulation, although they do not always manage to update it to the best practices and the new realities of the digital society and economy.

The regulations and laws that technophobes exhibit are as reptilian as their brain, designed to keep them safe and in their political and normative comfort zone. It is not that regulation is not necessary or positive, but when it is based on fear and ignorance, it hardly yields the progressive results and social and economic benefits that are expected of it.

Regulate the Internet, Artificial Intelligence, social networks, digital platforms, robots, cryptocurrencies, 5G… Any aspect that technophobes are unaware of, or evade its timely regulation or want to regulate in its most primitive and changing states, when the models of business are not yet mature, when it comes to flexible services and technologies or when a high-impact event occurs, such as when a self-driving car fatally hit a woman.

Technological and digital fearfuls get regulatory welts due to resistance to change, baselessly criticize technology and its developers, ideology gushes out like pus and emanates a stench of denial in the face of a future that is already present.

As fear is contagious, it must also be recognized that companies that embrace technology and bring about change, develop new business models and offer innovative digital services, also develop their own phobia of regulation, because they know that it alters the costs of operation, creates investment uncertainty, intervenes in the markets and even puts the viability of the business at risk.

Behavioral and regulatory technophobia have the same causes: general anxiety about the future, mass hysteria about technological unknowns (such as the year 2000 computer problem), and because the media portrays apocalyptic and disproportionate scenarios where technology fails, causing accidents. serious or dominates humans.

Audiovisuals like Ex Machina, The Social Dilemma o Black Mirror they legitimize regulatory and attitudinal technophobia because they portray technology as a manipulative power that will sooner or later turn against us and take control. At the height of technophobic Manichaeism, the hand that moves that manipulative power is almost always the same: an ambitious monopolist, an exploitative corporate, a visionary but crazy technology leader.

The technophobe is reductionist, conspiracist and likes to put a face and a name to his fears: Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg or Elon Musk now that he bought Twitter. The models of the manipulative power of technology, the cause of all evil, are also scarce but very emblematic: Apple, Google, Facebook, Uber…

Most fears regarding technology come from a lack of information; society, governments and regulators often lack it.

Fortunately, there are treatments for technophobia. I recommend exposure therapy: getting acquainted with the technology, digital service, internet platform, or company of your fear. Getting informed, understanding, using technology and putting yourself in the other’s shoes helps to heal. Appropriating technology as users do. Exposure therapy is one of the most effective phobia treatments. It may be the only treatment a regulatory technophobe needs to heal.

There is also cognitive behavioral technology therapy: talking and listening to a therapist or technology specialist about the effects. The therapist-consultant-specialist can help understand the changes in society and the digital economy, identify business models, best and worst practices. The technophobe learns to replace the ignorance and traditional, false or prejudiced thoughts of the past with more rational ones of the future.

Regulatory Technophobe: Accept your ignorance on the matter; do not refuse to adapt to technology; consult all the experts you need; focus on the changes, benefits and challenges of technology; be objective and non-convincing when analyzing the international experience; take your time and do not feel pressure, but act when it is already a trend of the future.