Life happens 24/7; there’s nothing new about that. What is new is our ability to experience it, in real time, no matter whose life it is. First came email, which let us stay connected all the time with co-workers. Then, text messages on our phones kept us in touch with friends and family. Along came the smartphone, which let us stay connected by all of the above technologies and added social media on top of that. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, you name them, they are all in our hand. More importantly, they are all in our hand 24/7, and some people have become so addicted to the constant contact that they instantly feel anxious when temporarily cut off from them.
Dr. Jim Taylor calls this syndrome “disconnectivity anxiety,” “a persistent and unpleasant condition characterized by worry and unease caused by periods of technological disconnection from others.” This can be very mild in some but nearly incapacitating for others. You may know someone who has the latter reaction — cut them off from the web for any length of time and they freak out.
I have been recently extolling the virtues of unplugging from the technology, so those who are affected by DA likely think I am evil. I am convinced that it is good to disconnect occasionally, though, as it can’t be healthy to be on 24/7 for very long. It’s a wonderful age, with information being passed constantly, but the reality is we can’t stay on top of everything all the time. Do you suffer from DA when you are disconnected?
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