More Technology ... But Less Free Time, What Happened?

It's interesting that you posted this today. I was just thinking about the amount of daily stress I experience as a result of the technology that was supposed to make my life easier.

I spend too much time trying to figure out how to save time with my time saving device.

I spend time figuring, fixing and trying to finagle cooperation from a this or that gadget.

As soon as I buy one, it's obsolete and now I have to spend time finding the upgraded version.

To answer your question, no I don't think we'll get the free time promised because we'll have to spend time trying to figure where our time went while we were trying to save time with our time saving devices.

I don't think so because the more technology advances, the more complex it becomes and the longer it takes to figure something out, let alone use it. Then once you do, now a new and improved version comes along and you're back to figuring things out again.

On top of that, look at the games online that technology has created. Now those certainly save you time, right?

Terra

Well, I didn't really get many souvenirs from europe, but two I DID get, which oddly say made in USA, are:

"Computer helfen uns probleme zu losen, Die wir vorher nicht hatten.". That is from memory, forgive me if I got it wrong. German for "Computers help us to solve problems we didn't have before they existed". It shows a terminal with a frown, shrugging shoulders, wth paper flying all around.

Another say "Jeg kan ikke fyrres! Slaver skall saelges." Read the earlier disclaimer. Danish for "I can't be fired! Slaves should be sold.". Unfortunately, BOTH are true.

Just today I mused about how my rear view mirror, that has these lamps often used to drain the battery, aren't using technology that was used in lectric components over 100 years ago! It has probably been used elsewhere for MILLENIA! And that ONE mistake may send THOUSANDS to get problems fixed. So what is the technology? It is called a KNOT! Maybe 3 seconds by hand and you AUTOMATICALLY have a GREAT strain relief to improve connections and reduce failure.

Little things like that exist EVERYWHERE! They cause BILLIONS of little problems that cause money and time to be wasted. Inflation goes up and work does ALSO. IMAGINE if such things didn't exist. Fewer people would be needed, and there would be less work, so people could have shorter days, etc... And they would be paid better.

My whole CAREER has been to make things easier. Between all the misuse, and people just getting more business, etc... it often doesn't seem that way. Most companies have a NETWORK department, to handle computers, access, a networking, a DBA department, to handle databases access and data, and an IT department to tie things together. In the 1950s and earlier, almost NO company had such things!

HECK, at the customer I am working for now, they just realized that I closed half their tickets without really trying, and 2 MINOR changes that I encouraged and facilitated, will get rid of almost all their work for this one app. Still, there is one MINOR problem causing grief, and I gave them a solution that should make a lot of OTHER things easier.

Steve

It depends on your perspective. If you're an employer that has enough money, then yes technology has been making your life easier over the years. Manufacturing employers now hire less people because robots and computers do most of the work.

However if you're an employee that has been replaced by a computer, then it now takes you longer to make the wage that you once earned. So for you technology has taken away your free time.

Personally - technology has brought me more free time. It's the economy that has recently taken away some of that free time.

I have more free time than ever. I work when I want, come and go as I please, and pretty much don't have to be anywhere at any time. Life is good.

Having said that, I work more now than I ever did for someone else -- but that's because I enjoy what I do and actually want to work ... but I do use the word "work" very loosely.

We don't have less free time. It depends on us how we utilize our time.

I think technology allows us to perform more tasks than before. So we don't have less free time, we're just doing more in the same amount of time as before.

I hope that makes sense.

Dang it, Terra. You're right.

To The Niche Man, I owe you an apology. I came across as blunt, harsh and condescending. That's not where you were coming from. I was wrong and I apologize.

You do bring up a good and valid point. There are some very good time savers in this day and age. I love me some dual monitors, outsourcing, and multiple daily doses of Evernote.com.

However, if I fill that created free time with more garbage activities I also wonder where the time went. I have to constantly remind myself that the time went where I sent it.

Again, my apologies.

Joe Mobley

Technology saves me a LOT of time. Unfortunately - gov red tape eats as much as it can. Still and all - When I'm out at a great agate site, it's mostly because of the technology that allowed me to put up a website where I could communicate with everyone in my field whenever I want. I not only have more free time, but I know where to go when I go out so I'm not wasting gas and time coming back home with nothing.

Basically, I see humans as being "learning machines" and technology allows us to speed up the process of learning. That doesn't mean we end up with more time. It means that we are now spending more time learning more things faster. And the more we learn, the more we want to learn.

Learning doesn't always mean, like, academic or technical learning. We are learning and absorbing information even when we are vegetating in front of the TV or frolicking with our friends during social times. I see us as input-absorbing mechanisms that can never get enough.

GT