Working with technology is one of the most terrifying experiences I have, on a regular basis, in life. I regularly experience what are very close to panic attacks. When I was much younger, I was afraid of needles. I was desensitized to this fear with the help of a health professional, and found that it was interesting to think about the paired response of Skinner…in terms of how I had paired my emotional reaction to an object. I overcame it, I can give blood, needles are no longer an issue, and haven’t been for a very long time. But I see many similarities between the needle and the technology. I don’t know that I’ll ever overcome my fear, but I may be able to lessen the emotional load, with incremental successes. The key ingredients are positive experiences paired with incremental successes.
