Wisdon 2.0: Ancient Secrets for the Constantly Connected

Wisdom 2.0
Posted by "The Big Sit" on April 5, 2009 at 7:40pm in "The Big Sit": Discussions
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Soren Gordhamer works with individuals and groups on ways to live with less stress and more effectiveness in our technology-rich lives. He is the author of Wisdom 2.0: Ancient Secrets for the Creative and Constantly Connected, (HarperOne, 2009). A more complete bio is on his website, sorengordhamer.com.
Soren writes:Even the best technologies fail without an adequate power source. That we are connected may be cool, but what is even cooler is the power source—or the what—that fuels it.Consider the following:You are up late online, typing, clicking, scrolling, and reading, but amidst such activity you are getting very little done since your mind is hazy and scattered; your body is tight and lethargic. There were times earlier in the day when you worked effectively, but now your attention is weak, worn-out from an active day of work or school. While it may appear to an outside observer that you are making progress on an important project, you are accomplishing very little. A voice in your head beckons, “You have already been on the computer ten hours today. Why not do some stretching, read a book, or take a warm bath before bed?”
You agree in principle, but you just can’t pull your attention away from the social network, game, or news in front of you. Though you are choosing to use technology, you really feel as if it is controlling and using you.
The results of such long hours on the computer continue to impact you. Once you do finally disconnect, you are mentally exhausted and make your way to the refrigerator—the old, scattered mind state you are in believes that the right food will ease some of your tension and be a reward for your day of hard work. But in this frame of mind, you choose unhealthy food that is difficult for your body to digest, and you proceed to eat it with the same dazed attention. Trying to sleep some time later, your mind is still cluttered and your stomach bloated by your kitchen visit. You again turn on some technology—your TV, iPod, or computer—but nothing helps you relax. It takes you a few extra hours to get to sleep, and you wake up the next morning lethargic and drained. Though most of us need to be networked for much of the day, for those of us constantly connected we have many times like this example when our engagement is habitual, when it feels like technology is using us instead of us using it. While it is extraordinary that we can be connected, we often forget to know what’s connected—or more precisely, what state of our mind is engaged. When this is forgotten or disregarded, our health and well-being pay the price. Read the rest of the chapter on tricycle.com.
Question: How do you balance your time on and offline? When does it feel that you are using technology and when does it feel as if technology is using you?