Addicted to electronic gadgets?

Human beings can become addicted to just about anything. But now, they are faced with a new type of obsession: the addiction to technologies. Increasingly portable and captivating, new technologies have infiltrated themselves everywhere. Cellular telephones, Ipad and other electronic gizmos can unfortunately become quite monopolizing for many people.

Techno addiction can become so pervasive that some individuals may actually wake up several times a night to check their e-mails and text messages on their cellular telephones. An individual who suffers from this particular addiction can be under the impression that they must be connected at all times. This can quickly begin to interfere with their work and personal relationships, while the person becomes more and more isolated from “real” people so they can always be on-line.

In the beginning, workers who are addicted to their electronic gizmos are often highly productive, promptly answering e-mails and text messages. As times goes by however, they begin having problems as they spend an increasing amount of time obsessively checking their messages, instead of concentrating on their work. Moreover, several studies published over the last few years have demonstrated that badly managed work e-mails result in reduced labour productivity.

If we take the time to really think about it, rare are those e-mails and messages that require an immediate response. To be more efficient and make better use of our time, it is sometimes preferable to simply turn off our cellular telephone and log off the Internet while we finish the task at hand with all the concentration it requires. We should not forget that spending quiet time with our loved ones is a precious opportunity…we must learn to disconnect from the virtual world.