The Workplace Benefits of Being Out of Touch | Hacker News Reader

The Workplace Benefits of Being Out of Touch

nytimes.com

28 pointscojourneo10 comments

I'm a little embarrassed to admit this as the founder of an Internet startup, but I didn't even have a smartphone until a few months ago. I had what my wife referred to as a "dinophone." :-)

Eventually, I succumbed to the pressure and curiosity of having a smartphone. Now, as I check my email, tweet, or check HN walking my dog, as I'm eating lunch, etc., I find myself wondering: is this connectedness actually making my life BETTER?

I think for me, the answer is somewhat ambiguous. Yes, I appreciate the flexibility of being able to reply to emails in places and at times I was previously unable. However, I think there is a cost. I'm a lot less "present" during the monotonous moments of life. And, I think it's this monotony --- the "down time" --- that often makes space for unexpected creativity in our lives. Perhaps that's why our best ideas often come during mundane tasks like taking a shower (http://www.scottberkun.com/blog/2011/why-you-get-ideas-in-th...).

Anyway, I think the bottom line for me is this: I need to learn a new skill: how to disconnect and, perhaps more importantly, come to value these "boring", unproductive moments so I can withstand the temptation of pulling out my phone. I think that's an even bigger challenge for me.

I don't think you need to be embarrassed about it, and I get the sense that avoiding smartphones (or at least, being able to not become welded to them) is at a higher rate among techies than in their peers in the population at large these days. (Note: "peers" in this case means people of similar age, say 20-50, and similar socioeconomic position.) I think it's a combination of dealing with tech tools all day at work (and needing time off) and understanding the risks to security and privacy.

I still don't have a smartphone. I'm thinking I might get one the next time my contract's up, but I'm very much thinking I won't hook my email up to it....

Wow, thanks for saying this. Geez, I thought I was the only luddite that didn't have a smartphone. That's a very interesting observation about "techies" being more adverse to smartphones.

I wonder where all this technology is going to lead. Connectedness should increase our humanity, not harm it.

I'm moving in the opposite direction, I've abandoned my smartphone and use a small pay-as-you-go phone as a sort of "pager". Nobody knows the number except family and coworkers. Everyone else gets my global "google voice / straight to voicemail" number.

I see it as there are three reasons to communicate: Emergency, Question, Assistance. Once we hardwired everything into one device (iphone/android) everything comes across as the same. That is to say, an Emergency/Question and Task all come to your phone at the same time. Being more connected can actually be very counter-productive as you spend more time reading emails/texts/requests instead of taking on the important stuff.

I don't handle emails/tweets/IMs/text messages after hours. If there is an Emergency someone needs to CALL me. I don't respond to emails right away. I handle all emails at noon or the end of the day, I don't treat emails as "Emergencies" because it is a horrible place to alert people, email is for questions and tasks that don't need immediate answers.

To me it's about handling the rocks (the big jobs, the important ones) before the sand and the pebbles (the questions and tasks). More reading: http://justinlim.wordpress.com/2006/11/28/of-rocks-pebbles-a....

shrug just my opinion

I dropped my phone and to get a replacement the other month. I did not re-install my work email or twitter. I think it was definitely a good decision. We have our web app integrated with PagerDuty, so if something really bad happens and our service is down I'll get an SMS. Otherwise, if it's just an email, it can wait until I'm at a computer.

I am constantly forgetting my phone at home, leaving it in the car, etc. I attribute it to an unconscious hatred of the thing. Of course I am from the generation that grew up without these annoyances, and look back with nostalgia at the days when you could leave the house/work and you were just "out" until you got back. And you were more likely to a) complete the errand or purpose of your trip without distraction and b) get back sooner because you didn't get diverted to handle three other requests on the way.

My macbook bricked while I was on vacation, allowing me to actually read a bunch of the books I always bring along but never get around to...

I can't believe how often I forget my phone at home now that I've got a wristwatch again.

Taking the night off? Inform the IRS that companies are profiting from uncompensated labor!

so true, if we're always available..

thats happened to me, and I think about work alot lately.

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