Emotion tech is a step too far for society

What a world we are living in! I learned last week that some workers could be tagged with Big Brother-style emotion trackers to shield staff from office anger.

Apparently, businesses terrified of offending employees are considering giving them Fitbit-esque devices that monitor wearers’ feelings and sound alarms over low mood, or banter thought to be either too angry or inappropriate for the workplace.

I wondered if this was just another way of collecting data about them and questioned whether anyone would actually buy into that. It’s as simple as pressing the yellow button if you’re feeling happy or the blue button if you’re not. It feels like a sort of home surveillance tool.

Perhaps it ticks the boxes for employers looking for a quick fix for the mental health of its workers but without context the data is surely meaningless. I also worry what this new development says about the resilience of young people.

There is a lot of offence being taken nowadays at things that would not have been remarked on just a few years ago. That’s no bad thing because we should have been remarking on language and attitudes that were unacceptable, inappropriate or offensive. However, there seems to be a widening generation gap in our capacity to take offence.

These mood-bands may be a boon for those too shy or unwilling to speak out when things are being said or done that makes them uncomfortable and that, too, can only be a good thing.

However, I come from the generation that sorts things out for itself so if I am feeling upset by someone’s actions or words, I’ll go for a walk or a cycle, put on some of my favourite music. You have to do something about it. It might be old-school mentality, but to me it is common sense. It is also about solving my own problems and not dumping them on somebody or something else.

Obviously there will always be exceptions; if a person

truly feels overwhelmed or unable to cope, then of course they should get help.

But, for most of us, I can’t help but think that, while this gadget may alert an employer or group leader to a possible problem, it may undermine their ability to deal with the day-to-day trials and tribulations of life.

A gadget isn’t going to develop resilience in a person; it might provide support in terms of information, but actual resilience is built by experiencing tough situations and finding a way to come through them. We are in danger of taking so many of those real-life experiences away by an over-reliance on technology to do our thinking and problem-solving for us.

Resilience is built by coming through tough situations