Time Management
comments powered by Disqus
Device Free
June 23, 2010
Like millions of other Americans, I own a BlackBerry. And long ago, I became accustomed to heeding the call of its blinking red light. A study released last week, however, reminds us that staying connected 24/7 has its downsides. This is particularly true when it comes to children, who increasingly feel they must compete with electronic gadgets for their parents’ attention.
According to Sherry Turkle, director of MIT’s Initiative on Technology and Self, parents’ use of technology may significantly affect their offspring. Turkle conducted 300 interviews over five years and found that children often feel they come in second place when competing with their parents’ BlackBerrys and iPhones. Children reported being particularly upset when Mom and/or Dad pulled out an electronic device during a meal, pick-up after school, or throughout an extracurricular event.
For years, I’ve urged program participants to keep in mind the importance of face-to-face interactions. E-mail is great for providing quick updates. But when critical decisions must be made, human interaction is invaluable.
Turkle’s study suggests that all of us need to create some device-free time—time in which we set aside all electronic gadgets and focus on face-to-face communication. Electronics should be banned from the table during meal times. And when someone, whether an employee or a child, says, “I need your attention,” we must give just that.
comments powered by Disqus
