Addicted To Technology

Author Harvey Mackay writes a weekly syndicated column. It appears in newspapers around the country, or you can subscribe and get it by email. Harvey is always insightful, and his writing is easy to read.

This week he wrote about the abundance of technology in our lives. He reminds us of the computer, HAL, in 2001: A Space Odysseyy, and how in the beginning HAL seemed like a benefit to everyone. However, HAL goes haywire and begins to dominate the humans...even killing one crew member on the space station.

Alas, our own experiences with technology are going haywire. We are so dependent on our electronics that we never seem free of our cellphone, blackberries, laptops, etc... Sure, your Trio probably wont kill you, it does possibly dominate your existence.

Harvey recommends three steps to free yourself:

1. Limit your multitasking. You are more efficient when you work on one thing at a time.

2. Schedule your life. Set a time for email and other tech related tasks.

3. Disconnect. Sometimes you just need to take a break from all your gadgets.

All great advice. But that disconnect one? Ouch, it is hard not to grab the blackberry every five minutes and see if there is new email!

It does feel good when you have a day that you control, not one where you are lost in email, web-surfing, phone calls, and speadsheets. The constant feeling of trying to catch up is a result of having too many things going on at once. I know, I live that life!

When I was a kid in the 1970s there was talk about the coming technology. It was predicted that computers would make us so much more efficient that we would have three or four day work weeks by the year 2000. The opposite is true, we are working harder and longer.

While technology is not the killer HAL computer, technology has enslaved humanity...not freed us.

Look, right now you are on your computer reading this blog online or as an email (if you subscribe on the right side of the page, you can get my posts delivered daily into your email!).

Have A Great Day.

thom
thom@thomsinger.com