The Effects of Constant Connectivity

Remember downtime? That was when you could take your dog on a walk without having to answer your cell phone. It was when you would watch your child’s little league baseball game without also scanning your e-mail messages on your smartphone. And it was when you’d enjoy a movie at home without also working on your expense report on your tablet computer. In this era of interconnectivity, downtime appears to be a thing of the past. The important question? Is this healthy?

Our devices have clearly made our lives easier. We can get directions at the touch of a button. Find the nearest restaurant in minutes and Google the answer to a question with ease and speed.

But are we paying for this connectivity more then just monetarily? As we are usually connected, we rarely, if ever, are alone with our ideas. Many people have wondered if this is negatively impacting the philosophical, pensive, aspect of humanity.

That isn’t a question we will examine here, but it’s something to think about. A more pressing question is, what is being continually plugged in doing to our health?

It’s not healthy to constantly be working. It’s equally unhealthy to always be in search of the next piece of entertainment, gossip, or tweet from a associate. In other words, the body needs time to rest, to reflect, to think. If you find that you simply can’t go five minutes without checking your e-mail, sending a text, or Tweeting a friend, perhaps it’s time to unplug.

Relationships can be affected as well by being too plugged in. When spending time with loved ones it could be useful to unplug and just enjoy the art of conversation. In today’s world it is easier to communicate on Facebook or via text rather than face to face.

If you find that you’re rarely with no electronic gizmo in your hand, think about unplugging, at least for a short while. You might find that working less makes you more productive and much less stressed.