This article illustrates an extreme example of technology ruling our lives, but many of us experience the conflict between technology and “real” (human) interaction. The almost-continuous use of electronic devices has become a significant problem for some of my students. When I get up in the morning, I walk into our home office to give my wife a kiss at the keyboard. However we also do a lot of physical activity. Intellectually, we’re aware of the pros and cons. I’m setting up the Father’s Day schedule with my kids via email, informed family via Facebook that I’ve just returned from my school reunion, and will post a more thoughtful review of that occasion on my blog (I use it as a journal for reflection). I take time-outs, mostly by hiking with my wife, going to concerts and lectures, getting together with friends, etc. Solo backpacking without cell service or GPS is a miraculous feeling.
It does feel like Catch-22 to be sitting at my computer commenting on this rather lengthy article about the time we spend with computers. I hope that by writing about it (and posting this on my blog), it will remind me to think about this issue more carefully. Maybe.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brain.html?emc=eta1