Digital Me

         How do you tell a whole generation, a whole culture, that the very devices that make their lives "easier" and more enjoyable are potentially contributing to the deterioration of certain higher brain functions? Furthermore, how do you get these people to care enough to make a change? Matt Richtell of the New York Times makes an attempt to use scientific evidence, but most likely it won't make a difference.
         These devices such as iPhones, BlackBerrys, televisions, and many others are not only cool, sleek, and appealing, but cater to a lack of patience and appreciation for the "micro-moments" that make up any given day. It seems as though these technologies fit perfectly in this modern world and are here to stay, and evolve. In an interview by the New York Times, Sebastien de Halleux, co-founder of PlayFish, said, "Instead of having long relaxing breaks, like taking two hours for lunch, we have a lot of these micro-moments... [Electronic Arts] have reinvented the game experience to fit into micro-moments." Because these new developing technologies fit so perfectly into our every day lives now, it makes them that much more desirable and accessible.
              Personally, I own a BlackBerry, a Mac Laptop, and many other devices that fall into this category. And although I use them as religiously as anyone else I feel remorse every time I spend hours on Facebook, or repeatedly check my phone while eating a meal with a friend. In my eyes, this is a never-ending conundrum. Every day I am faced with the option to reject such widely accepted and almost necessary behaviors, or to simply go with the flow and stay plugged in. Regrettably or not, nine times out of 10 I choose to stay connected, it is simply too easy. But at what cost?
             Too often I and many other people elect to live in what is essentially a fantasy world instead of the one right in front of our faces. At the risk of catastrophizing harmless practices, I think that technology is rapidly becoming the best looking, most appealing monster we know. Frankly, users of modern technology, including myself, have so much trouble unplugging and leaving cellphones behind that it borders on unhealthy. In an interview with the New York Times, Henry Chen said when referring to his newly acquired BlackBerry which is meant purely for business, "It's become a demand, not necessarily a demand of the customer, but a demand of my head." That sounds to me like addiction 101.
             Whatever it is, I strongly believe that technology is fine and can be very helpful, but in moderate doses and in a much more conscious manner than is generally practiced. So the next time you, I, or anyone else feels the subconscious pull to grab our phones out of our pockets, we should ask ourselves, how much is too much?