Too Much Technology?
When to unplug & when to connect
by Motivation Expert, Jim Cathcart
Terence had invited me to dinner at a very upscale restaurant in Brisbane and I was excited to sample their “Moreton Bay Bugs” (Lobster). Once we were seated he received a phone call and proceeded to conduct business on his cell phone for the next 20 minutes, completely ignoring his wife and me. People at neighboring tables were giving him, and us, hard looks of disapproval, but Terence was oblivious, just wheeling and dealing as we sat with hunger and frustration growing apace. He felt he was doing what was important, and we felt offended and ignored.
That was almost 20 years ago in Australia and cell phones were called “mobile phones”. The protocol of using or not using them had not yet evolved and people felt compelled to use them when they rang. Terence had no idea that he was doing anything wrong, he was just using the available tools to do what needed to be done. But did he make a good choice?
Well times have changed. Now everyone has a cell phone, all of them have voice mail, email and a mute button, and most establishments have posted policies about their use. The iPad is the new “mobile phone” of today. It is still a novelty to most people and it’s fun to explore what it will do. The whole world has opened up to us, instantly. Last night I was watching a TV broadcast of a ballgame while sitting by the pool with my grandkids splashing nearby. Luckily I had the presence of mind and good taste to turn off the game and enjoy the water sports in front of me. But many people do not turn it off…ever.
My wife just now told my grandson to put down his “DS” player and join his sister in watching a TV program. She said, “You play that game so much I’m afraid your thumbs will fall off!” I added, “And I’ll have to pick them up because you will only have four fingers.” Of course, all parties knew that we were joking. But look at the bigger picture. Stop playing a digital game in order to watch a TV show? That’s just changing media. Is watching a TV show with someone really a form of social interaction? Do we really advance by just ingesting information or entertainment?
Clearly human interaction (with other humans) is the key to societal advancement. Our media must be the medium for something more than data. People are not loyal to nor in love with facts. So, when should we stash the iPad, ignore the emails, turn off the TV, mute the phone or, dare I suggest, not even take it with us? How does one make such a decision?
Here’s the reality for many of us: Your boss expects you to be on call 24/7. The company expects you to give people a call back within 20 minutes, no exceptions. The client is impatient with any delays and quickly turns to another supplier if you are slow to respond. The news is being broadcast all day long and you’re expected to “keep up” with what’s going on (as if that’s possible.) After all, your website is responsive 100% of the time, why shouldn’t you be equally accessible? No.
If you are a “server” for your system or business what happens when the server is down? Think about this; mechanical servers occasionally have to be shut down or taken offline in order to be upgraded or replaced. The same is true for people. You NEED times when you are not connected, when reaching you might take, say a few hours instead of under 20 minutes. Without time to simply be human, you become overly stressed and in danger of breakdown. Use your technology and enjoy the instant access world that we live in, but occasionally and on-purpose, leave the tools at home and just live your life. You’ll be worth more to others when you reconnect.
