by Major General (Ret.) K. H. Konstantinidis
Has anyone ever wondered how much anxiety modern man accumulates in his everyday life? He may consider this state of anxiety normal. I, however, having lived through the agricultural, industrial, and present-day digital eras, am in a position to compare them and assess the changes.
Anxiety has become an almost permanent companion of our daily lives.
We live in an age of unprecedented technological progress. We have at our disposal means of communication, transportation, and information that previous generations could never have imagined. And yet, instead of feeling freer and safer, people often feel more pressured, anxious, and insecure.
The elderly, in particular, are increasingly left outside the mainstream of society. Today’s system has left behind many people who are not familiar with modern technology and find it difficult to keep up with the new procedures.
The automobile is a source of anxiety: driving, traffic congestion, the fear of an accident, a traffic violation, the loss or renewal of one’s driver’s licence, heavy fines, and the countless restrictions and prohibitions.
We are also anxious about everything connected with housing and the Land Registry, with its countless procedures, documents, financial burdens, and the bureaucracy of government services and local authorities. For the ordinary citizen, handling even a simple matter can become a real ordeal.
We digitized bureaucracy, but we did not abolish it.
The economy causes anxiety as well, with the constant rise in the cost of food and energy, while income often fails to cover everyday needs.
Then there are the daily unexpected problems: closed roads, strikes on public transport, demonstrations, roadworks, traffic congestion, torrential rain, floods, snowstorms, wildfires, and other extreme events. Simply moving around the city can become a real ordeal, while traffic congestion adds even more stress.
THE MOBILE PHONE — THE “NIGHTMARE” THAT ENTERED OUR LIVES
Technology creates new anxieties.
The citizen faces threats from the burglar, the fraudster, the cyber thief, and even from someone who may target a child. Thus, even the computer we use every day requires caution: what we open, what we send, and what personal information we provide, so that we do not become victims of account theft or other forms of cybercrime.
Health problems have always been a source of anxiety, because they can concern nothing less than our lives and our safety—even through a medical error.
The housing crisis causes anxiety, especially among young people. Tenants worry about the level of rent and securing a home, while landlords face their own concerns, particularly when dealing with irresponsible or unreliable tenants.
Banks, credit cards, bills, insurance, and financial obligations—all create anxiety. We must remember deadlines, instalments, and payments, so that we do not face penalties or, even worse, the interruption of electricity, telephone, or water services.
And, of course, we must meet all the deadlines: the Tax Authority, the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), insurance obligations, declarations, and electronic procedures.
And when, finally, we sit down to rest, we turn on the television or look at our mobile phone and are confronted with a torrent of news: wars, crimes, economic and energy crises, natural disasters, social conflicts, fraudulent messages, and much more.
Thus, a daily cycle of anxiety, terror, fear, and gloom is created:
Anxiety on the road.
Anxiety at work.
Anxiety at home.
Anxiety about tomorrow.
Anxiety about the future of the planet and humanity.
And even when there is no specific problem, we do not know what may appear next.
A STRESSFUL AND ANXIOUS ENVIRONMENT
Modern man lives in an adverse and heavily burdened environment.
It is not only garbage, exhaust fumes, and smog, but also wildfires, smoke, noise, light pollution, and various forms of radiation, many of which are invisible yet potentially harmful.
All these factors add another burden to everyday life and may affect health, sleep, and psychological balance. A person who lives constantly under tension can become more nervous, irritable, and confrontational.
TECHNOLOGY AND OUTDATED INSTITUTIONS
And here lies one of the most important problems of our age:
We created technology, but we kept outdated institutions and procedures.
Technology should reduce bureaucracy and make citizens’ lives easier. Too often, however, it simply transfers bureaucracy from paper to the screen.
Before the state introduced new technology on a massive scale into public administration, it should first have educated and prepared its citizens. Instead, we put the cart before the horse.
Technology must serve human beings, not human beings serve technology.
TECHNOLOGY FOR WHOM?
Can a society truly be considered progressive when people have no time to think, dream, fall in love, read a book, or philosophize?
The purpose of the state is not merely to produce wealth, technology, and services. It is to create conditions for a genuinely human life: security, dignity, free time, recreation, and psychological well-being. The results are already visible, especially among the young.
Human beings are not merely numbers on tax returns, codes on electronic platforms, or consumers who have nothing but obligations.
They are beings endowed with reason and soul, with needs that go far beyond material consumption.
We cannot stop progress, nor should we return to the past. But we can ask the fundamental questions:
What kind of technology do we want?
Technology for whom?
Development for whom?
Progress for whom?
If the human being is not at the centre of progress, there is a danger that we may create a society of robots, like humanoid machines.
The ancient Greeks spoke of measure, harmony, and well-being. Perhaps today, more than ever, we need to remember these principles.
For true progress will not be measured only by how intelligent machines have become, nor by the achievements of AI.
It will be measured by how much better, safer, freer, and more human life can become for the human being.
(20/9/2026)
Major General (Ret.)
Konstantinos H. Konstantinidis
Author – Member of the Society of Greek Writers
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