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Yesterday was a big day for me breaching the technological divide. I had to break down and buy a Motorola Q, which for those peeps with little techno knowledge is a hand-held computer that handles your phone, e-mail, calendar, contacts, internet and other fun things. I know some of you are thinking why didn’t I get the iPhone and believe it or not I don’t listen to music. I think music is a fad that will fade. :-) Ok so now you’re gathering why I have had such a large technological divide. But to be honest I have been adamant about not getting a device that gives people access to me 100% of the time, because I don’t think it creates less work. I think it makes you work all the time. I also think it’s more important to have time away from technology and other distractions to be able to focus on yourself or I don’t know my relationship and this growing trend away from those things really bothers me. And yes I know you can turn the Q off and trust me I will, but there are millions of people who don’t, who spend their vacations answering everything from work, mainly because with fabulous new technology we can.
This leads me to my next point, which has to do with the movie Sicko. One of the most troubling things that I took from Sicko is that other countries have a higher quality of life not only in healthcare, but also in spending time with partners, family and friends. The resounding argument over here is that, “Yeah they have universal healthcare, but they pay higher taxes and THEY DON’T HAVE AS STRONG OF AN ECONOMY.” So let’s work our 60-70 hour weeks, pay high amounts for private healthcare, not see our friends and families and what’s our giant return…LOWER QUALITY OF LIFE!!! I don’t know about you, but I think while these new technological advancements may make some things easier they are taking away a larger and more important part of life.
This leads me to my next point, which has to do with the movie Sicko. One of the most troubling things that I took from Sicko is that other countries have a higher quality of life not only in healthcare, but also in spending time with partners, family and friends. The resounding argument over here is that, “Yeah they have universal healthcare, but they pay higher taxes and THEY DON’T HAVE AS STRONG OF AN ECONOMY.” So let’s work our 60-70 hour weeks, pay high amounts for private healthcare, not see our friends and families and what’s our giant return…LOWER QUALITY OF LIFE!!! I don’t know about you, but I think while these new technological advancements may make some things easier they are taking away a larger and more important part of life.
2 comments:
Ross, though I 'sold out' in 2005 and got my own little handy dandy personal email machine, I know how much you've been against having one yourself. And while I do share the sentiment of surprise that you've been able to hold off for so long(!), I understand your hesitation and can appreciate your reluctance even now.
My response is really that quality of life doesn't have to be compromised with this added technology. Yes, such technology does not always lead to less work. And oftentimes people check email at times that would be much better spent with friends and family (I am definitely guilty of such). But in this age of travel, it also helps connect people who aren't necessarily in the same area, like when I am able to email a friend a quick hello. And it means that you can spend an afternoon in the park on a workday and know that if something absolutely urgent happens - you'll get word of it and will be able to respond. So in some respects, I feel like it can help quality of life...giving us the ability to live more freely, instead of having to sit in front of our computers all day just waiting for that urgent email to come in. Of course, this is all contingent upon us being conscious of how, why, and around whom we use it - but I do think it can be done.
I think the ability to check email at all times, and the addictive nature of checking email, makes us impatient and hypervigilent, and that it distracts us from engaging with complex ideas or other human beings. It's BAD! But I can't STOP! My boyfriend and I send and receive professional emails from the time we wake up till we go to bed and all weekend long and on vacations. A forced day away from the internet eventually feels amazing--I need to take more of them!!
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