Technophobia is a phobia different from most. Technophobes fear technology, yes, but the main source of their anxiety is the change of their environment.

Whereas most phobias, like necrophobia or agoraphobia, exhibit a strong physical reaction, most technophobic people react with mild anxiety, perhaps a faster heart rate or sweating, and with feelings of self-doubt. A common desire among technophobes is to return to a simpler life, when people were less reliant on technology in general, but more often than not, computers specifically. One technophobe, who happens to be a converted technophile, Clifford Stoll, takes a rather extreme view. In his book, "The Silicon Snake Oil", he expresses his concerns of computers in classrooms.

"Suppose that I accept that students should spend a lot of time behind computers. What's the limit? If computers, online networks, and interactive video are so important to modern classrooms, why not eliminate the classroom entirely? Students of all levels could sit behind their computers at home, and receive quality instruction from the finest teachers. Electronic correspondence courses." (Stoll 1995, p.124)

Many technophobes are worried about technology taking over, as illustrated in the passage for Stoll's book. They are worried that humans will become as obsolete as technology itself can become, and that the more reliant humans are on technology, the more humanity is lost.

The most common reactions from technophobes when using a computer is self-doubt. They are constantly afraid that if they hit the wrong button, something terrible will happen, like the computer blowing up or some other rather rediculous event. They also begin to doubt themselves when they are shown the "right" way to do something, which is usually rather easy for the person who is demonstrating to do, but yet it is still baffling to the person being shown. If the demonstrator is younger, this can add insult to injury. At this point, the thought "if they can do it, why can't I?" can seriously damage the ego and self-esteem; "after all, I'm older, I'm wiser, I should know how to do this, but yet I don't. Maybe there is something wrong with me..." Thoughts and feelings like this can build up inside a person in a very short amount of time, as they will begin to compound and play off of each other, one doubt fueling another doubt, in a vicious little cycle.

In a related topic, technophiles are not in the same category as other "philes", in the fact that it is not sexual, as most are (necrophilia, for example). A technophile is simply someone who embraces the benefits of technology, and welcome the ways that they can help humanity in general. In this sense, they are the exact opposite of technophobes.

The main cause of technophobia is ignorance. The people who shun technology are generally the people who don't understand it (an exception would be Clifford Stoll, who is both a converted technophile and a somewhat extreme technophobe). Most people who hate technology hate it for the simple fact that it isn't what they are used to. Usually, technophobia inflicts the older generation, the generation who hasn't grown up with computer games, complicated acronyms, or even calculators (well, that depends on the age). Another thing that they don't like is the fact that they are being taught by those younger than them, either a young adult or maybe even a child, which is the exact opposite of how the usual passing of knowledge system works.

The best treatment for technophobia is simply knowledge. Since technophobes are fearful of technology because they don't understand it, knowledge takes away what they don't understand, allowing them to use it better, and reduce the feelings of self-doubt that are attributed with trying to learn something new on the computer. Simple computer classes might be the most effective treatment; in a group of peers that suffer the same problems, a single person wouldn't feel like the technological outcast, and if it was taught by a peer, rather than some "cocky young upstart", it might show that person that it isn't age that is holding them back; after all the thought, "if they can do it, why can't I?" might be very beneficial towards recuperation.