Computer at Work

A number of studies indicate that stress relief vacations are important to good health and it is beneficial to travel and enjoy respite from daily concerns.  Even now with all the economic pressures surrounding us, escape from our daily pressures and the winter blues is just the prescription to recharge our batteries and provide a bit of pleasant self-indulgence.

An additional contributing stress factor is the increasingly dominant if not over whelming role of technology in our lives.  Everything takes on a sense of immediacy when electronically recorded or transmitted.  We forget that we do have the power and means to control this technologically growing wonder.

We need to put human personality and sounds into relationships again.  What did we do just a short time ago before computers became a dominant form of communication along with cell phones?  Isn’t it refreshing to speak, at least by phone, and hear a human voice?  Doesn’t it encourage you to carry on a little bit of a dialogue, especially if the voice on the other end sounds warm and courteous?  Our younger generations appear to be developing imperfect personalities, which can hide from direct personal contact with others.  Are we unconsciously encouraging whole future generations of nerds and geeks?

Aren’t we, human beings, supposed to be social beings?  When was the last time you met someone and really looked at him or her?  When was the last time you really looked at your significant other without the interruption of a cell phone musical theme signaling an incoming call or a demand to look at a text message or new email? And when that does happen do you excuse yourself to respond no matter what the content of your conversation and, unfortunately at times, no matter how significant it was?  Aren’t you a bit turned off when that happens to you?  Being placed on the backburner even before the phone or text message is even learned, in effect is telling you that you’re not important or special!  What an insult to courtesy and friendship!  Just because everyone seems to do it doesn’t make it right.  Who is in charge here, the machines or us?  Why are we becoming so dependent on technology that it has come to control so much of our lives?

Perhaps we need to become proactive and limit our email reviews to only twice a day and allow cell phone calls and text messages are stored until we have completed our conversations.  True emergencies are uncommon and immediate responses to electronic messages appear to be more an ego-supporting attempt at importance.  I also get quite annoyed by personal conversations being conducted in public places.  When the phone at my desk rings I have always picked it up as quickly as I could and am surprised when the caller says, you answer your own phone?  My immediate response is always, you and your call are important to me.  How can I help you?  This little bit of courtesy is owed to whoever calls and certainly improves your image in such a simple way.  Even those you have been avoiding might be taken aback a little. Being kind and polite is disarming, especially if it is a genuine response and more importantly, encourages us to be humans rather than technologically, non-descript images.  You need to ask yourself who would you like to talk to again, an electronic robot or that warm human being we were all born to be.

A good way to get a new start is to get away from it all – take a vacation and leave the electronic gadgets at home.  It is amazing how refreshing the experience can be.  You can learn to read again for pleasure, visit new places and witness the excitement of discovery, not only of a destination, but also of people and the art of conversation without annoying interruption.

Dr. Rog