I had reason to visit the Twitter website earlier. According to the bright little adornment on the “Notifications” tab, I had 60 items of note waiting for me. As I looked at it, it updated to 61. I didn’t click on it.
My phone lets me know when Kobo has new book recommendations for me, and when my wife is trying to get in touch with me. A few other odds and ends. It does not tell me about new emails, or Tweets, or any of a half-dozen other urgent, trivial events it used to angrily buzz about. I have seen to it that it does not.
There are emails streaming in to my inbox. Comments. Updates. Tweets. Exciting special offers. I know this. But Google Inbox is serenely blue, and will stay that way until I go through my email again tomorrow morning.
Is the world really moving faster, or do we just have more and more opportunities and temptations to look busy? Who really gains value from all this busy-ness? Day-traders, maybe.
We used to just laugh ruefully about distraction. Now we monetize it.
I am less busy than I’ve been for a many years, but I think I’m better-informed. I may be be lagging a little behind everybody else, but I gotta say I feel more on top of things than I have in a long time.
Many years ago I read an article on how to be more productive. One of the things they stressed most was to NOT check your email more than twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the afternoon. That way you won’t be constantly stopping what your doing then having to re-start that thought process. Another thing they mentioned was doing the same thing for you “voice mail”. Pick a time of day that you’ll deal with phone calls (both incoming and outgoing) and stick to it.