What is your relationship with technology?
Are you someone who lives in a digital world, spending hours with a gentle glow lighting up your face, or are you an anti-technology advocate?
My approach to technology is one of a love-hate relationship; while I embrace all the amazing things technology has allowed me to do; never before it been so easy to share large amounts of information in multiple ways and formats at the touch of a button, staying connected with family on the other side is a breeze, and if I need the answer to any technical problem I can be certain a quick search on Youtube will find a 12 year old with all the answers!
The flip-side though are interactions that are less human, communication has started to feel transactional, it lacks emotion and deep connection. As an entrepreneur I feel technology plays a large and critical role and consequently, if I don't keep checking in with myself, I will get unconsciously distracted and find I spend way too much time on stuff that isn't really important,
My personal belief is we should embrace technology, we should jump on all the benefits it has to offer that make us more productive, we should then take advantage of this increased productivity to give us more time to work on our human-to-human interactions.
3 Negative Impacts Of Technology.
We Have Become Omnipresent - With the technology to stay connected at our fingertips we are now living in a very distracted world, instant alerts will distract and pull our focus. I am sure you have (within the last week) found yourself in a conversation with a friend, colleague or client, all of a sudden their phone lights up and as much as they try to stay engaged, they cant help but glance over and read the notification.
Dehumanised Communication - There are no emoji's in the world that can add emotion and meaning like actually being face to face with another human being. Even picking up the phone and just calling can have a profound impact on a relationship.
Social Isolation - Many people are now relying on technology as a means to fulfil their social identity, the problem here is these people are living in the false reality that having thousands of connections will make them happy, unless there is a good balance of real world connections and interactions, the quest for digital friends will lead to the path of loneliness.
3 Positive Impacts Of Technology.
Connection Super-Power - All the different social networks have opened up the doorway to connect with people that would of otherwise been out of reach. Technology has made building a network a very fast and productive task.
Subscription To The Super-Library - Gone are the times where you would have to spend hours in a library researching information, we now have ALL the answers at the tip of our fingers. Even though we have been doing this for years now, it still blows my mind that I can get answers instantly, one of my favourite phrases has become... 'just Google it!'
Fast Communication - The ability to send and receive information so fast has totally changed the face of business; once upon a time a client would of wanted information sent to them, now a simple click of the mouse and within seconds they are, scrolling through a digital catalogue or watching a promo video.
3 Technology Tips To Keep You In Balance.
Turn Off ALL Notifications - This is something that I did around a year ago and it has had a profound impact. No more little ting ting's drawing my focus away. I now have allocated times during the day when I will check my emails and social media. No longer is technology controlling my focus, I am back in charge!
Aeroplane Mode Is Not Just For Flying - I switch my phone on aeroplane mode in the evening and won't put it live again until I have started the following day the way I have planned. If you wake up and reach for the phone straight away you are instantly putting yourself at the request of others, you are letting others dictate how your day will start.
Decide Your Outcome - Before you reach for your phone, iPad or laptop decide what is you want to get out of the digital interaction that is about to happen between you and machine. Only carry out tasks that will move you to your outcome, once you have got what you set out for stop... don't get distracted and start clinking through other links, as interesting as the comments are to read avoid the temptation. Stay focused and make technology work for you.
The bottom line is become conscious of how you are using technology, and focus on using it to benefit you.
Are you up for a technology challenge? Check out the video below, make sure you let me know how you get on.
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