I just finished reading this article, one of the currently most emailed on the New York Times’ site, about taking a break from technology. The author briefly recounts his new routine of turning off the computer, blackberry, cell phone, television, etc. for twenty four hours each weekend.
I’m curious—do any of you ever feel over-connected? I’ve steadfastly refused to get a blackberry and can’t imagine the circumstances that would prompt me to change my mind. I think it’s just a way for our bosses to make us feel bad about not doing more work. But I do have my cell phone with me almost all the time, and I usually—though not always—check email every day. I’m definitely not as addicted as the article’s author, but I do think I’d feel a little lost if left for too long without some of my favorite gadgets.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Tech Addictions
at 4:22 PM
Labels: Everything else
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6 comments:
I think (as do some of the people quoted in the article) that it's a question of balance. I don't have any regrets about always having my cellphone with me, or checking my internet everyday, because I'm not so obsessed with being plugged in that I lose myself in it. I still have/make time for the non-technological things that I love.
I do have days/weeks where I obsess about e-mail and check the blog stats every 20 minutes. But, I definitely don't feel bad about leaving the cell phone/computer at home to go snowboarding for the day, and I definitely don't take any kind of technology with me on vacation.
in my current job, i was "assigned" a blackberry, which stinks. i do not like being so connected, but i accepted the job, so i have to deal with it for now. i have made a rule of no checking it within 3 hours of bedtime and 2 hours of waking, which definitely helps.
Okay, I'm going to be the contrarian here, and say quite the opposite: I enjoy feeling connected. And, I don't understand people who feel "over-connected." I guess it has to do with what or whom one is being connected to. I mean, why wouldn't I want to know who is trying to contact me?
But, then again, I also compartmentalize work / unpleasant things very well, and if I read something work-related, I can just shrug it off.
And, then again, I'm not working now. So, I'm just making all this up.
I love technology. I do. I am a geeky, goofy nerd; it's true. I want silicon chips instead of teeth. Absurd yes and alas it's still true. I want to tread in vast oceans of information. I want to swim in streams of data. To feel a googolplex of binary bits wash across all my senses and perhaps to get a little excess bytes stuck in my ear or nose. It's also altogether true too, that I could drown in too much information. An apropos emoticon for that fate would be :( So fine. I guess I'll go take a walk, but wait until I get my iphone. Then the only real truth would be that I wouldn't give the iphone up without a dirty dogfight to the death no matter what the stupid nytimes editorial thinks. Ptu-ee.
PS - does anyone believe the nytimes anymore? McCain had an affair?!¿ I've lost faith in the paper of record.
Okay, I'm somewhat of a liar. Maybe what I mean is that I don't feel guilt about not responding to various communications, i.e, letting e-mail pile up for days and days while I hike or drink wine. Because I definitely NEED the iphone. And Google's Internet-in-your-brain someday? I want that too.
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