Rejecting Technology?

I seem to be thinking a lot about technology lately and how it has such a big impact on my life... both at work and home, I rely on technology in a lot of different ways. Most significantly, I rely on technology to communicate. These days, there are just so many ways to stay in touch... land lines, cell phones, email, voice mail, instant messaging, texting, Facebook...and, oh yeah, there are still handwritten letters and cards. Today we are so connected that everything is instantaneous and to wait for a return email longer than twenty-four hours feels like forever.

The result? Send an email, wait 15 minutes, look for a response... check your cell for a voice mail, check cell for text... check computer in case you missed the ping of a new email. Go back to cell... Run errands, checking cell to see if an email or text has come in... Get home, check computer for email... etc, etc, etc... round and round we go. It makes me dizzier than a merry-go-round. And sometimes, just as frustrated... The amusing part of all of it is that we all like to think that it is thanks to technology that we are all MORE connected and have access to each other instantly. The reality is that we have instant access, so long as both sides of the conversation are engaged...

At work, this takes on a whole new dimension... Work is crazy these days and I find that the blessing and curse of a corporate Blackjack is that at all times I know exactly who is looking for me and needs me to resolve an issue... I also find myself tossing and turning instead of sleeping because I am getting voice mails or emails in the evening telling me we have a "problem" with something at work. The sleepless nights are as much my fault as anything... If I could just turn the dumb phone off when I got home instead of checking it a couple times each evening, I wouldn't know there was a problem...until AFTER I had a good night's rest.

So, I guess the lesson here is this... Technology is wonderful in a host of ways, but you also have to learn how to take yourself off the grid and just let things happen. The reality is that a few hours "off" isn't typically going to be a problem... as soon as you are connected again you'll be able to catch right up with everyone!