Take time to reconnect with reality

Oct 8 2009 by David Coxon, The Journal

IN THE digital age we're always connected, no matter where we are. The idea is that it makes us more productive, better workers.

But does it really?

As an IT manager, I have to keep up-to-date with what’s happening in the world of technology and with the various projects that I’m working on. These days, I do most of this over the internet, and since I have broadband installed at home as well as in the office and on my phone, this means that I tend to be constantly connected.

Due to the nature of my work, I frequently check emails even when I’m not in the office, and because I work flexi-time, it’s not unusual for me to pop into the office to update a piece of software or install new hardware during the weekend or in the evening. BALTIC is open seven days a week and there are people on site 24-hours-a-day, so while I’m not technically on call, sometimes it can feel that way.

Whether I’m at home or in the office, I’ll typically have my work email, personal email, Twitter and a variety of social networking windows open at any given time.

Even during holidays there’s the temptation to check emails and find out what’s happening on Twitter.

This year, however, my wife and I chose to take a break in the sun and decided the laptop was staying at home.

The holiday was fantastic and, much to my wife’s surprise, I didn’t miss the computer or the internet at all.

In many ways, not being connected with the net made me much more connected with reality; I was living for the moment – rather than to blog about it.

Don’t get me wrong: it wasn’t a totally tech-free holiday. I still took a digital camera, iPod and mobile, and I still uploaded the photos online when I got home. I just didn’t think about it while I was there.

And far from the office falling apart without me checking emails and ongoing projects, my colleagues benefited from getting more involved in some of the projects I’d been working on.

I came back refreshed and was able to tackle some of those things that had been on my to-do list for ages, but I’d never got around to doing.

In actual fact, Egypt had fantastic mobile internet connections and there was ample free wi-fi, so it would’ve been easy to stay connected had I chosen to do so.

But it’s important to remember that while technology can be a great aid to productivity, sometimes being exposed to it constantly, day after day, can have an adverse effect.

David Coxon is ICT manager at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art.