Attended the southeastern premiere of Sex and the City 2 last evening…a cleverly designed 2 ½ hours away from cell phone conversations and messages, texting and emails only to take note of Carrie and Miranda’s never ending connection to constantly talking through manmade devices.
Talk about looking into a mirrored image of oh, oh that’s me!
As cute as Samantha can be, having a Bluetooth wrapped around her ear stole from the sexiness she’s turned into a household look. It didn’t matter what lines were being delivered, those in the audience firmly attached their eyes to the oddly shaped space aged chunk of plastic glued to the side of her head like a bumble bee that couldn’t rip its stinger away from the trouble zone.
What can you do but laugh at who and what we’ve become. Thanks to heavy duty security who threatened to rip us from our seats at the first sign of a phone going blink, blink, blink moviegoers kept their itchy fingers in the popcorn and candy and not tap, tap, tapping on itty bitty teenie weenie keyboards connected to brighter than a Christmas tree screens.
Is there a problem? It depends on who you talk to—science and research departments feel we’re five to ten years from seeing any repercussions. You can’t suddenly send a monkey into an crowded out of control office environment with a lip service electronic gadget attached to their hip and expect them to cry for their mother when it’s taken away.
If you find yourself fake laughing and or starting a conversation with the word, “So… So, how was your day? So, will you be seeing Sex and the City 2? So, your boss walked in on you.” You’re guilty of no crime but the message being sent is a portrait of codependency. A new loneliness has been given birth…welcome to the new age of whatcha doin now? What about now? It’s a booty call for your ears.
Adding fuel to the fires that tork bosses—endless amounts of personal emails. More time is spent checking for new messages than the average person spends learning how to better their chances of keeping a job. I wonder what that says about our home life? The Carolina’s are number six in the country for divorce.
Carrie and Big thought they had a cure for their unexpected twist of fate—while Carrie fears of becoming an old married couple, the suave and always engaging Big looks at her and gently asks if she’d bless his idea of having a five day on, two day off relationship—a totally different place to live for 48 hours geared toward keeping the sparkle in the origin of why they fell in love.
Wow! A real life BRB (Be right back)
When someone doesn’t react to your email for a couple of days…what is your response? You just sent a Face Book message…how long does it take your body clock to sound off its built in screw you alarms? You’re on G-mail and every attempt to IM someone you know keeps coming up empty handed…do you fire off an email showcasing your dissatisfaction in their disconnection to you?
Leo Babauta is an expert on getting back to a more peaceful (less email) life.
My job in radio depends on interoffice transcripts—98% of what I do today will be governed and commanded by people who failed to go through the proper channels and if something is left out, it’s my fault for not remembering how important their email was. I agree…in an age of constant changes and updates, leaders locate faster methods of keeping requests in proper order. I also had a heart attack at the age of 47.
Lou Babauta believes your email should be checked only twice a day. Not, not, not, not first thing in the morning. Emails opened first thing dictate your day. You're putting yourself in danger—the day becomes stuck and or surrounded by something one says or has ordered you to do. Nothing else can be accomplished until that particular email has been delivered out of your life.
Best way to break free of your habit of waking up and checking out what the world was up to while you were away is to become aware of email usage. Get the important part of your job done first then move into answering emails.
What do you do if nearly 100% of the people you create with carry Blackberry’s, IPhones and Droids and the only method of communication is the earth shattering email? Nobody deals well with the idea that nothing gets done. Formats are put into play for a reason. Paper trails are much easier to follow, when one is out the only thing keeping the project alive is the production order and not a casual verbal conversation inside a computer nobody has access to.
But! But! The workload will triple if we wait until both parties are present in the office!
Leo isn’t bothered by that behavior. He continues to push forward by convincing us to release the sounds that say, “An email has arrived.” Such things take you away from the project already in motion. Interruptions steal from quality. Once you’ve been drawn away, how long will it take for you to return to a state of performance?
How do you get coworkers and family members to better understand the importance of you checking your email only twice a day? The first step is to send out a message that reads, “I only check my mail twice a day.” Note what times they are and stick to it. If you’re constantly recognized as the person who bails people out…I gotta ask…when was the last time you were truly happy? Bet those you save have already started their Memorial Day weekend.
Turn it around…if emails and text messages are your link to bleeding the soul—how many times can you take someone down before they finally say, “Whoa…I need a six pack of Red Bull and the television musical Glee.”
Life seemed to carry a richer flavor when we didn’t have quicky verbal outlets and ATM cards. If qo back it might reintroduce mood rings and toe socks.
In Sex and the City 2 Charlotte’s adventure to the Middle East becomes a camel throwing blunder on her nearly innocent path. How many times have you fallen face first into a pile of not so good because your ear or fingertips required a backstage pass of importance over all other things including loving yourself first?
We aren’t social networking…we’re coming apart from the inside out…cell phones and computers are temporary Band-Aids. Legalized digital coke and meth…it all messes with the head and heart.
Will I stop? I can’t…
arroecollins@clearchannel.com
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