Dr Ilja Nastjuk (left) and Dr Dr Mauricio Marrone have been studying the effects of dashboard technology on drivers.

The more reliant on technology we become, the more our dependence has collateral consequences.

If you’re keen to better manage your use of technology, and improve your resilience to technology-induced stress, come along to a Wellbeing Week lunchtime seminar on Wednesday 24 October.

The seminar will be hosted by Dr Mauricio Marrone and Dr Ilja Nastjuk of the Faculty of Business and Economics.

The pair has been looking at the stress caused by car dashboards, which are becoming increasingly complex, bombarding drivers with information and requiring drivers to take their eyes of the road for longer periods of time.

“Technology has a dark side,” says Dr Nastjuk. “The complexity of these new systems in cars that deliver information about things like air con and fuel data causes drivers to be distracted and adds a lot of stress to driving.”

The pair also found that electric vehicle (EV) drivers often suffered from ‘range stress’, with their dashboard providing constant reminders of how much range was left in the car’s battery, causing greater driver anxiety.

You can read more about Dr Marrone and Dr Nastjuk’s research in The Lighthouse. To register for their lunchtime seminar, visit the Wellbeing Week event website.