So finally after long time I recently had a really productive day (working). A day working on my laptop, without Internet connection. And guess what, no emails, no checking of news or stock quotes, no Facebook, no blog surfing and no YouTube. During this time, I got 80 emails in my inbox, a couple of big news in my Facebook newsfeed, my unread blogroll went to an all time high, Microsoft stock touched a new bottom and Dow Jones…well let’s not talk about it.
As much as all these – staying connected, getting news, social networking – are necessary, it consumes a lot of time which on a non-connected day can be used doing something else. This is a typical example of technology being a necessary evil.
It’s not just Internet, there are many things – otherwise known as technological blessings – that fall in the same category. Take cell phone as an example. I have a few hundred contacts and their phone numbers in this device. How many phone numbers do I remember? Less than five of them. It is great that I can reach any of my contacts in a click, but losing my cell phone can be a really frustrating experience (I better take a back-up).
This day without Internet connection also made me think about technological dependence from another perspective. Every technological advancement creates new human dependencies on the technology. Eventually it becomes a necessary part of our lives which we – by default – expect to have. The importance of that thing is realized on the day we are without it.
So here’s an experiment: think of one thing that you by default expect to have all the time. Live for a day without it. You will definitely appreciate having it more than ever before!
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