The nature of a ‘new environment’ in the workplace is multi-tasking at an unimaginable level. A typical form of working and communication in these environments clearly seem to digress from the idea of face-to-face correspondence. It seems a bit ridiculous when I imagine my typical office-space, land-line phone, blackberry, laptop, desktop 30” lcd computer, drawing board, ipad, papers, printers. More times than not these are all being used at once. The clientele send requests through e-mails, the computer-aided-design programs rectifies my mess of a building plan whilst in the background the internet provides me with the ability to access anything I desire at a small price (unless of course I am close to free wifi).
The conversation remains similar among many, that is to say these types of new working and social environments mean you are no longer entirely ‘present in conversation’. Distractions are no longer lighting a cigarette, they are google, e-mails, itunes, e-commerce, youtube... has the new torrent been released on piratebay yet?. I’ll check my blackberry. The attention span of my generation (y) is arguably shorter than those that precede us and there becomes a larger social gap between the informed and those who are unable to access internet or refuse the technology.
The types of ‘new environments’ created by e-commerce, twitter, eBay and sites such as ny magazine occur and update without any perceptible duration of time. They are instantaneous, which also correlates back to work life and the same expectation of things occurring in a particular instant. The essence of time seems to escape the thought of clientele, and ‘by tomorrow morning’ may be one of the most popular phrases in my old office. Patience is considered an unnecessary past-time when purchasing/downloading/googling is beyond a thought. Anticipation is dull, to bide one’s time is a sin.
Social life in these new environments consists of blackberry, e-mails, twitter, facebook.The positives of these technologically advanced new environments are that the internet is the epitome of discretion and anonymity. Nobody is personally aware of the products you are purchasing, the music you are listening to, the television series that you desire. It is a place for reinvention and marketing at ones pleasure.
The conversation remains similar among many, that is to say these types of new working and social environments mean you are no longer entirely ‘present in conversation’. Distractions are no longer lighting a cigarette, they are google, e-mails, itunes, e-commerce, youtube... has the new torrent been released on piratebay yet?. I’ll check my blackberry. The attention span of my generation (y) is arguably shorter than those that precede us and there becomes a larger social gap between the informed and those who are unable to access internet or refuse the technology.
The types of ‘new environments’ created by e-commerce, twitter, eBay and sites such as ny magazine occur and update without any perceptible duration of time. They are instantaneous, which also correlates back to work life and the same expectation of things occurring in a particular instant. The essence of time seems to escape the thought of clientele, and ‘by tomorrow morning’ may be one of the most popular phrases in my old office. Patience is considered an unnecessary past-time when purchasing/downloading/googling is beyond a thought. Anticipation is dull, to bide one’s time is a sin.
Social life in these new environments consists of blackberry, e-mails, twitter, facebook.The positives of these technologically advanced new environments are that the internet is the epitome of discretion and anonymity. Nobody is personally aware of the products you are purchasing, the music you are listening to, the television series that you desire. It is a place for reinvention and marketing at ones pleasure.
Hi Justine
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing how much we rely on new environments and technologies in our work and at home these days! Even though I don't use Facebook etc as part of my every day job, I receive constant notifications of posts and status updates to my phone, and then I have to juggle my actual work with keeping track of my friends. Though I do try to limit my time off task, it can be a big distraction still!
I totally agree on the attention span issue. I have 2 step-sons, aged 8 and 11, and I am constantly amazed and annoyed at how much time they spend "connected" to their iPods. They hardly put them down, and it's a fight to get them to read a book or go outside and play... Though when I think about it, what kind of example am I setting - sitting there watching a movie with them while playing Smurfs and checking Facebook?? I am a terrible role model in that sense!
Yet I am still dismayed by the lack of human interaction, being in the same room as someone for a conversation, going to a shop to purchase a cd, going out to the movies even. As much as we become more connected online, I feel we are withdrawing more into our own homes with the comfort of our laptops and iPods. I don't believe that the sense of community from the global connections we now have doesn't make up for losing our local communities.
Sad, isn't it?