Sunday, January 16, 2011

The Dilemma of the Times


Technology has all of us on our feet all the time. Gadgets are coming out in different shapes and form and we are left with so many choices, it is almost appalling.
Do we wonder why we are constantly scrambling to do things as if time is so squeezed we can barely fit any chore in it? Give an honest answer, for once. How much time do we waste each day on distractions like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, e-mails and the eight hundred apps or so residing in our mobile devices? Do we wonder why we have a phone, and we don’t even call people anymore? I do.

I always catch myself updating on the latest happenings and interests around the globe through Twitter. I always catch myself giving inputs and insights on my Facebook wall about the things that I’m currently preoccupied with and interested in. What a life!

Sometimes when my morning alarm rings which is conveniently carried out by my iPhone, I catch myself clicking on the Facebook app even when my eyes are still half-open. Why is that so? It seem as though there is this hunger to connect to the world in real-time every second of the day and these modern-day social networking tools made it a possibility for us to dwell into that need. Woe me!

I have a few laptops and other gadgets that I barely touch because everything is easier with the mobile phones and the apps. I have other gadgets that I don’t even bother to use like Kindle, a Macbook, iREx reader, iPods, DS because it’s almost redundant and much more complicated to jump from one device to another when all we needed is to be connected to the world. In the end all these devices sit in the corner and gather dust while they start getting obsolete by the minute. What a waste!

There is so much information overload, and if we are not careful about limiting the information that we take on a daily basis, we end up wasting our life away on technological distractions. We end up losing sight of the bigger picture. Life in all its simplicity is still the best way to live.

Yet, with new gadgets looming in the horizon and more promise of technological innovation and mobility, there seem to be no end to this growing dilemma. In fact, I’ve been itching to get an iPad and the only thing that is holding me off is the buzz that Apple will soon release its latest, more improved version.

But honestly, I’m at a point where I’m not that crazy anymore about gadgets. All these years, I have learned that these toys are only exciting to hold the first time after unboxing them. After that, the thrill is gone plus, unless you are truly utilizing the gadget to help you out on a daily basis with your career or business, much of these devices don’t actually improve your quality of life.

For now, I will stay away as far as possible from technological distractions; limit my playing time with my gadgets; enjoy life through healthy food, yoga, exercise, friends, nature & outdoors, my family; and continue my pursuit for career advancement. This I promise to myself and I intend to keep it.