Does technology control my life?

In an industry like ours technological know how and early adoption is a must. But the result of this can sometimes be a technology overload.

I have often cracked the joke about my boss (not too smart on my part) being overloaded with gadgets, from his I Phone to bluetooth headset, multiple chat accounts and an addiction to Twitter. The result of this is that he is wired everywhere and in constant reach.

I come to write about this on the day my Blackberry has finally given up the ghost. At first I was a little bothered by the loss of my device and the convenience it had brought me. For those not familiar with the Blackberry it is a phone that receives emails as well. The result of this technology is that you are available at all times.

Not having the blackberry has made me realise how invasive it was and how I was constantly checking the device waiting for some kind of contact. Rather than being a time saver I actually believe the devices take up more time by acting as a distraction and the time it takes to write an email when you are all thumbs.

I have often heard that technology was supposed to be our saviour and return our sacred time to spend outside of work and with our friends and families. In fact in many ways it has done the opposite, the more we embrace it the blurrier the line becomes between work and home. I have often caught myself writing emails at a dinner party or having my phone on the dining room table while I eat, even checking an email while fishing (You can see where the name Crackberry comes from).

If this sounds like a tirade against technology, it is not, after all I am the proud owner of a Nintega Mega 360. All I am saying is that we do need balance in our lives and need to be able separate our work from our home life a little better

So I suppose as my boss reads this he will be busily ordering me another one or maybe jumping up and down on his bluetooth headset! Freeeddoommm