Making life better?

I will start with a story I was told. Before he became a priest, Fr. Charlie worked in the publishing industry. Mail would be delivered to the office around 10 AM and then again around 3 PM. If an important document was expected, it would arrive at one of these times. If it was not in the mail, it could be put out of mind until the next delivery time. In his words, it was great. Then the combination of two things destroyed that: fax machines and phones. If someone in another office wanted a document reviewed, it would be faxed and then a phone call would be placed to confirm receipt of the fax and demand a timely response and fax back. Everything had to be done immediately.

I would guess the inventors of the fax machine and telephone intended to make life easier. However, that was not always the effect. As above, the new inventions were a way for micromanaging bosses and overeager collaborators to rain havoc over more people.

Now lets bring this to today. Email is all the rage and not just on computers. With so many people using a Blackberry, iPhone, or other internet-centric phone the new inventions originally designed to make life better are everywhere.

What effect are these new devices having on people and their mental well-being? Are they adding something valuable or just filling time?

I have sat looking at my inbox and psychotically kept clicking refresh hoping I would get an email. Even if I was not waiting for anything specific, I kept hitting refresh every second. Then I found a way around this; I started using a widget which generated a pop up anytime I received a new email. This stopped the psychotic clicking, but did not solve the problem. Instead of giving my full attention to what I was doing, I let the pop up window be a line that instantly pulled me away from whatever I was doing to check my latest email. While a few times it was nice to respond to emails within minutes, it did not make my life better, easier, or calmer.

To prevent becoming caught up in this mentality, I have started a 10/4/10 email plan. Unless I am expecting a very important timely email, need to reference some information, or want to write a specific email, I only open my email three times a day, 10 AM, 4 PM, and 10 PM. It is awesome; you should try it.

The next time you click on your internet browser or pull out a smartphone (smart in the sense their manufactures have convinced millions of people they need to buy such devices) to check the latest news, email, or Facebook update Stop! Ask yourself if you really need to. Question yourself "Will this bring me happiness?" If the answer is no, rethink your actions.

If the latest technology is not making your life easier, less stressful, and better, you are not using it correctly.