About four years ago, I bought a little flowering vine and planted it in my yard. The first year it sprouted a few flowers, then it appeared to have died, but then it sprouted again. And every year since it has grown bigger. It’s starting to take over, and soon will need to be trimmed back.
Like that Clematis near my house, another vine is taking over my life and the lives of most people I know. It’s called information technology. When it began to grow, only a few years ago, we all watched in amazement. Since then it has created millions of new jobs, made communication much easier, enabled us to do library research from our homes, and made it possible to communicate around the globe instantly, without cost, and even with video images. PDAs, iPods, cell phones, BlackBerries and additional pieces of technical gimmickry are ever-evolving and increasingly sophisticated. They let us make purchases online, pay bills, access information, download videos, and even exchange text messages or check baseball scores during sermons in church.
Clearly technology has made our lives much easier. Almost nobody wants to go back to old-fashioned telephones or writing on typewriters instead of computers. But our enthusiastic embrace of technology has increased its power to entrap our lives, our work, our relationships, and our ministries. Quietly, incrementally, the information technology vine is creeping into our lives, increasing the speed with which we have to work, outpacing our ability to cope, and producing what Psychotherapy Networker magazine calls “enormous, unintended effects on us physically, mentally, and emotionally.”
? Instant messages, phone calls, and emails are constant interruptions. According to one researcher, with every interruption it takes 25 minutes to get back to work. Concentrating, making decisions, or other activities that require full attention are impossible when we are constantly interrupted.
? Internet communication can create pressure 24/7. Everything demands a quick answer. We take laptops on vacation, check email and text messages constantly, and live with an ongoing sense that everything needs attention now. As soon as planes land, passengers get out their cell phones. According to one report, “tens of millions of employees must do more work at home in less time while being expected to constantly master new and ever-changing technical skills without adequate training.”
? Internet technology robs us of sleep, turning us into what some researchers term a nation of insomniacs. We work all the time, often late into the night, and we can hardly shut off our computers. Moreover, the wavelengths of blue light coming from our computer and television screens can suppress sleep-inducing melatonin, making it that much harder to get the rest we need.
? Millions of people connect as “friends” on social networks, especially Facebook and MySpace. Like all addictions, this craving for constant connection is growing slowly and turning from a fascination into an acquired need. We rationalize our need for connection because we fear that we might miss something, be left behind or be out of contact when we’re needed.
? Slowly, we have allowed technology, including television, to invade even our bedrooms and bathrooms, eat up our time, pull us away from close relationships, prevent relaxation, and interfere with family togetherness.
Getting Control
New words have entered our vocabulary. Technostress is technology-induced pressure. This can lead to technodistress – when technology overtakes our lives and makes us irritable, tired, frustrated, overwhelmed. How then do we control this international addiction that is becoming a standard part of our lives and our ministries?
1. Start with yourself.
Turn off your computer (after you read this article of course) and ponder the positive and negative ways in which technology is impacting you life, family, work, ministry, and spiritual life. Where does technology control you? How can you utilize the good side of technology without being controlled by technostress? Rethink your lifestyle and work habits. Ponder where God is in all of this. What can you do to change and who might hold you accountable?
2. Clarify your priorities and values.
Ask again what is of prime importance in your life and how you can keep your work and lifestyle in line with your stated priorities. Think about what refreshes you and deliberately fit that into your schedule. Discuss these issues with someone who knows you well.
3. Clear away distractions.
Turn off the bells on your computer that announce email arrival. Limit the times of day when you check email. Let the answering machine pick up some of your phone calls. A lot of this involves old-fashioned self-control.
4. Set and maintain boundaries.
Make clear distinctions between work times and “answering times.” Turn off communication devices when you are in meetings. Cancel your subscriptions to newsletters or Internet messages that distract you and steal time from more significant issues.
5. Listen to your body.
Remember that sleep and rest are necessities, not luxuries to fit in between work times. Pay attention when your patience unravels or your body shows signs of running down.
6. Take action in response to this article.
Be specific about what you will do to trim technostress from your life and determine when you will do it. If you decide that you can’t do anything to control technology, what might that say about you or your ministry?
