Weber State University professors have released a book exploring the connection between technology use and human emotion. In the book, titled "Bored, Lonely, Angry, Stupid: Changing Feelings about Technology, from the Telegraph to Twitter," authors examine how technology redefines feelings and influences mood.
Assistant professor Luke Fernandez of the School of Computing and history professor Susan Matt conducted the study after observing student distraction with mobile devices. The researchers conducted interviews with 55 participants from 13 states and the District of Columbia to understand modern impacts. They also examined letters, diaries, and memoirs to understand how technology influenced the emotions of past generations.
Matt noted that while smartphones have an effect, they did not start the trend of technology increasing connectivity. Past inventions like the telegraph, photography, and radio also helped people feel more connected to the world. Through their research, the authors discovered that human interaction with technology has always affected emotion, with feelings such as loneliness, boredom, vanity, awe, and anger changing or being redefined over time.
The authors identified a shift from a limited sense of self to an unlimited sense of self. Fernandez stated that while past generations expected limits on experiences, such as how much they could learn or interact with others, many people today expect unending affirmation, infinite social contacts, and never-ending entertainment.
One example of this shift is the changing perception of loneliness. While past generations often viewed solitude as a virtue, the emergence of technologies like telephones and radio created an expectation of frequent interaction, which transformed periods of solitude into times of loneliness and boredom.
The book is available through Harvard University Press, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble for $35. A book-signing event was scheduled for May 17 at Booked on 25th, located at 147 25th St. in Ogden.
