All of our technological tools are doing more than we ever expected today. Each handheld device and each home appliance contains way more functions than we may need. Our cellphones do much more than just place phone calls. Our computers save time when information-hunting and writing. Other machines at home save hours of cleaning time. Wouldn’t you think that would be increasing our leisure activities and relaxation time?
Well many studies show that it’s doing the opposite. Although most people believe that technology lessens our burden of working, it is also increasing our stress and encouraging us to be more glued to these devices. Our leisure time doesn’t consist of relaxing vacations away from work and people. We tend to bring our tools along. We take our laptops, cellphones, and tablets to stay connected. We get to read work emails right away although the great technology of email allows us to send automatic replies when we are gone. We’ve adapted into an instant response world where we it seems strange and unusual to be far from your mobile devices. Workers and employers expect constant availability through fax, cell, or email. So what the technology has brought to us, is a larger reason of why we should be constantly checking up on these tools instead of increasing our time away from them.
People under the age of 35 today are said to be “the most stressed generation”. When it comes to college students, they too are glued to their dorm rooms and desks to complete a big portion of their work online. They spend more time doing this than going out into the general campus or library and meeting in groups to work. The average unemployed person is seen spending many hours searching the job market on all of their mobile devices and keeping up with them for new leads or updates.
“Leisure time” today is spent too often focused on all of our technological tools that were supposed to function in such ways to make our lives less stressful. When people are constantly plugged in and connected it seems to be too difficult to detach and wander.