Apparently the race to develop the smartest mobile phone is on. Since the enormous popularity of the Apple iPhone various high tech operating system and mobile phone manufacturers are joining force to swiftly capture the market plus heart and mind of consumers.
At the recent Mobile World Conference in Barcelona we learnt innovations for the Smart Phone are in fact being spear headed by our desire for social networking instead of workforce productivity. Are we surprised? The machine metaphor for organizational life has never replaced our need for human connection and obviously sitting in front of our static computer to communicate and comb social networking sites is not sufficient. Apparently we need a gadget that allows us to network with the world while working on the move 24/7.
Stop. Think about it, is a new gadget the enabler for work life balance or a metaphor for overload?
In 2006, Dr. Barbara Mc Farland in her book The Balanced Life wrote about the negative aspects of being controlled by the 'whirring buzz of doings and comings and goings' including technology and the like. Some people she says become addicted to hype and busyness and find it almost impossible to draw the line. She also explains that men and women manage their busyness differently. For example, women tend to multi task to extreme and men tend to focus to extreme. However, both extremes she explains can be detrimental to life, work balance and relationships.
Here are a few suggestions from Dr. Mc Farland to get things back in balance:
Stop. Think about it, is a new gadget the enabler for work life balance or a metaphor for overload?
In 2006, Dr. Barbara Mc Farland in her book The Balanced Life wrote about the negative aspects of being controlled by the 'whirring buzz of doings and comings and goings' including technology and the like. Some people she says become addicted to hype and busyness and find it almost impossible to draw the line. She also explains that men and women manage their busyness differently. For example, women tend to multi task to extreme and men tend to focus to extreme. However, both extremes she explains can be detrimental to life, work balance and relationships.
Here are a few suggestions from Dr. Mc Farland to get things back in balance:
- Be present
- Breathe
- Learn to be silent and quieten your mind
- Have a sense of humour
- Have a spiritual side
- Be physically and nutritionally fit
- Create space for reflection
- Recognize out of balance symptoms
- Set boundaries
- Manage your emotional health
So before you buy your next Smart Phone choose to be a smart and balanced consumer and control technology, your work, life and wellbeing before technology controls you.
* The Balanced Lifestyle, Dr. Barbara McFarland, 2006. Author House, Library of Congress Control number 2005907247.
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