Menace of gadgets

Beautifully decorated board room was ready for the meeting. Every executive was assembled inside the room. The most critical customer was visiting the offices and at the end of the meeting, he would decide the capabilities of the services provided by the company. Some coffee drinkers picked up black coffee and bagel as the meeting was scheduled in the morning hours. The Chief Executive walked in and formally started the meeting. He introduced everyone and gave a brief overview of the objectives of the meeting. He started his presentation with direct eye contact with the customer. Within two minutes, he noticed that the customer was reading an email in his smart phone and started responding to it while looking at the Chief Executive. 10 minutes later, his smart phone started vibrating and he excused himself and informed the executives that he had to take that phone call as it was important. Within an hour after the meeting started, he requested for a 10 minutes break and wanted Wi-Fi connection as he had to check his emails.



Since when we had become so insensitive not respecting others time? This began when the mobile/smart phones, iPads, lap tops and other gadgets started dominating the market making the people addicted to those gadgets. We have to ask a question to ourselves whether we are using them for keeping ourselves up to date on everything that is happening or are we getting addicted to these gadgets and could not take our eyes off from these gadgets? Is it becoming a status symbol showing to others how busy we are?


The other day, I was rushing inside an airport to catch my connecting flight. All of a sudden, I heard a loud voice, “how you doing man? Long time no see?” I along with three others who were walking in front of me turned back only to find a young well dressed man talking into his blue tooth directly looking up front. All of us continued our rush knowing that he was not talking to us but was talking to one of his friends over phone.


My day to day work involves significant amount of reading, strategic thinking, up to date knowledge of what is happening in number of industries, having several conversations over phone, reviewing and editing documents or writing a detailed document to describe the business of our client, preparation of service agreements, etc. that involve a lot of concentrated effort to get it done right and quickly. Earlier, we never used to have email system and there were no pop-ups in the computer. Nowadays, every time, when a new email comes in, it shows up at the bottom of the screen and my monkey mind takes me immediately to that email distracting completely from what I was doing. Sometimes, it is difficult for me to get back to what I was doing initially. Hence for the past 3 years, I have decided that I would look at my emails only three to four times a day and respond to whatever is urgent leaving the rest to be answered later at a specific time.


However, my business partner keeps his outlook open all the time and he calls me right away and asks, “Hey, did you see that email from so and so?” I started telling him now not to call to inform me about emails coming in every 5 minutes as I read them only 3-4 times a day. I am not prepared to expect responses to my emails and voice mails within a few minutes nor I would like others to think that I would be responding to my emails and voice mails within a few minutes. How many of the emails or voice mails I receive require immediate attention and how many are general reports that have no significant bearing in my professional life? I need to find out efficient ways and means to filter my emails and voice mails. If I try to read/listen all the emails/voicemails I receive, I could spend the rest of my life doing just that.


It is time for me to learn to understand what is important. There are a few who leave a voice mail for me in my smart phone and my office phone and when they are not able to reach me, they send me an email. I end up reviewing each one of them which means I am hearing the same message thrice. I am at a point now that gadgets are here for me to do my work efficiently and not to drag me away from doing my work efficiently. They are intended for my convenience and not to inconvenience me. Let me not allow them to take over my life and let them be my little gadgets that I could use whenever I need them.


I would like to end this blog on a lighter vein. There was a guy who was in a crash and the cop showed up and asked him, “Sir. Were you on the phone when you crashed your car?” The guy answered, “Yes, officer. I was trying to make a quick 15 minutes call to save 15% or more on my car insurance.”

 

Thank you for giving the first feedback for this blog and I always enjoy reading your response. You are absolutely right. Particularly for children, these gadgets are taking the time away from their creativity. We need to teach them to become independent and use gadgets for useful purposes.

A neighbor of mine here have a beautiful young daughter who is just 2 years old. She does not yet speak very coherently and has not learned the English letters as yet. But he proudly mentioned that she loves "Angry Bird" in iPhone and knows how to play and score several stages.

Viswa

 

Thank you for your kind feedback. I never thought of the family angle and thank you for bringing up that subject and sharing the ground rules you follow at home. This is very useful. Power of the gadgets are increasing day by day and that is why I thought of writing this blog. I am glad you enjoyed reading it.

I am grateful to you for sharing your thoughts.

Viswa

 

Dear Suryakala,

Thank you for your kind feedback. I am sorry if I had given the impression that I was against the gadgets. I am definitely not against gadgets nor I am a person who would never use any of those gadgets. As a matter of face, I use Android smart phone, iPad, downloaded Mobile apps, lap tops, etc. All I was trying to convey was not to allow them to take over life instead use them to work more efficiently. In all the examples you gave, the gadgets are used to work more efficiently. Not respecting others time is inappropriate and we do not have a right to look at a gadget when some one is talking to us in a prearranged meeting unless it is an emergency. Also, if we start looking at emails when we are working on something important, it would be a big distraction. At work, we should try and look at emails periodically instead of keeping it open all the time if our nature of work involves other important assignments.

People do slow down on a highway and when we overtake/pass this car, we invariably find them in a mobile phone talking in an animated fashion. Some even send text messages while driving. By doing these actions, some are causing traffic hazards and sometimes cause accidents.

Gadgets do help us to keep us up to date on everything even when we are on the move. I definitely welcome them. If you notice Akila brought a very good point about not using gadgets late at night or watching TV when having dinner. These are great disciplines that we all need to follow. Family time is intended for family and that discipline is very important.

I always welcome your comments even if it is critical about the blog. Please feel free to write whatever you feel like in response to my blogs. I sincerely appreciate your valuable comments.

Viswa

 

Thank you for your kind feedback. Is there life without these gadgets? How do we react if we don't have internet for a day? There is a place where they teach us in the US how to manage our weight through strict diets, exercises, meditation and yogas. We have to stay for 10 days in their facility with no mobile phones, televisions and so on. It is a very natural environment. I am not sure whether I could survive in that environment. That much is the domination of the gadgets over me.

Viswa