From the time when an ape discovered that a jawbone would make a good tool to the advent of the iPad, every new technology has promised to release us from our labors so that we have more time for relaxation.
So far, it hasn't worked out so well.
According to a June 7th, 2010 New York Times article ("Hooked On Gadgets and Paying A Mental Price"), our electronic gadgets, rather than freeing us, are contributing to stress and time pressures. The article talks about people who are "addicted" to their electronic devices, checking emails, texting, playing games and interacting on social networking sites. Their "addiction" has, in many cases, had a negative impact on their relationships, grades in school and health.
The article describes how "One in 7 married respondents said the use of these devices was causing them to see less of their spouses. And 1 in 10 said they spent less time with their children under 10."
The article quotes Dr. Kimberly Young, a professor at St. Bonaventure University in New York "who has led research on the addictive nature of online technology." Dr. Young suggests therapy for a person "addicted" to electronics to determine why a person needs to use these devices "as a way of escape."
I suggest that therapy isn't needed to determine why a person uses these devices to escape. Escape is the whole point of these devices.
People put earphones in their ears and listen to music as they commute to work so that they can escape the experience of the commute. They escape work by checking email, conversing through instant messaging and engaging in video chat (according to the article, office workers do these things about 4.8 times per hour). They play video games at home (and work) to escape family (and work). They text and check email during a meeting to escape the meeting.
Some people try to escape having to pay attention while driving. In some states, laws are being considered (or have already passed) making it illegal to text while driving. We might want to consider a law banning driving licenses to people who don't know it's a bad idea to text and drive.
Some students escape their classes even as they are attending them. In the New York Times article, a college professor is quoted as saying that he thanked a student for being the only one in class paying attention to him rather than to his phone or computer.
Others escape even as they are pretending to have a conversation. My friend Rick Daussat wrote to tell me about his frustration with people who "answer a text while they're speaking to you."
I read of a shocking form of escape in an Associated Press story on July 14th, 2007 out of Reno Nevada. The story reported on a couple so obsessed with Internet video games that they failed to feed their two babies (a 22 month old boy and an 11 month old girl). When authorities found them, the children were near death.
It can't simply be a question of not having enough time because we will never have enough time. I've spoken with retired people who don't have enough time. Rather, it's always a question of priorities. People who are "addicted" to their electronics are simply prioritizing escape over the real life right in front of them.
If any of this hits home, you might ask, "What (and why) am I trying to escape" and fix that instead of blaming it on that "urgent email." There's always an "urgent email" when you're trying to escape.
Or, you might simply be honest and say, "Yes, I'm escaping. This video game is more important than you."
In the case of that Reno couple, that was literally true.
