Comments on: Do You Suffer From “Disconnectivity Anxiety?”

By: modelsupplies

modelsupplies — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:44:19 +0000

I am prone to binging on tech, carrying it way overboard, catching myself and pulling back.

By: Steve Portigal

Steve Portigal — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:39:59 +0000

I think as people point out in the comments, disconnection is along a continuum. Being unreachable by phone? By email? Or being reachable on your phone, versus on a computer (where you presumably shift more to read-only mode, or a keep-an-eye-on-things mode).

I think for me being able to move along that continuum in different circumstances gives me a good feeling of comfort/safety. And then being able to enjoy – as other commenters said – when technology’s breakdowns force you to disconnect further.

By: deivildesilva

deivildesilva — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:01:48 +0000

good………

By: Brandon

Brandon — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:53:50 +0000

I experienced this first hand a couple weeks ago. While traveling to another city, my T-Mobile data on my G1 mysteriously went out from the time we hit the airport. I tried everything I could to get the data working, but it was a no go. I found myself constantly trying to re-establish the connection just to try to get some browsing in. I managed to connect to my cousin’s wifi, plus I was surrounded by family which helped me forget about it for a while. This was the first time I was actually without data and couldn’t do anything about it. Needless to say if this was a real test if I could disconnect, I failed miserably. The irony was that I actually like to “disconnect” sometimes, but when it wasn’t voluntary, it made a big difference.

I feel better now

By: Hugh

Hugh — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:27:26 +0000

Are we Cyberholics?

By: Pam T.

Pam T. — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:42:05 +0000

I have come to really, really dislike those people who must use their Blackberries during meetings and be so tied with their email that they have to check it every three or four minutes.

I like my disconnected time. In fact, I’m forcing myself to disconnect at least twice a day from anything with a screen on it. Even when I take a walk, I can think about stuff, rather than have music or news blasting my ear drums.

I’ll always be a geek, but there’s a time and a place for it, IMHO. Learning how to disconnect is as important as knowing the technology.

By: cr0ft

cr0ft — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:16:29 +0000

Recently, I visited the US for three weeks, and since I’m not a gazillionare I turned the phone part of my phone off and kept it off for virtually the whole time. I did get online at night some nights using a laptop, but for most of that three week I walked around disconnected. Knowing that even a simple mail check would have cost real money was a surprisingly good deterrent to going online – and after a few days, I didn’t even think about seeking out wifi hotspots.

It was surprisingly painless! I thought I’d be much more bothered by it, but in the end it was rather a relief to know that nobody could reach me, yet I could have called out in an emergency and accepted the ridiculous surcharges I would have faced.

My advice when people complain about being called all the time and feeling the strain of being connected is and has been for a while: use the power button on your phone. That’s what it’s there for. The world won’t end.

By: Gavin Miller

Gavin Miller — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:51:50 +0000

As mobile tech warriors do we ever find ourself disconnected? I’m sure most of us have a smartphone of sorts but I do recommend a weekend away with loved ones with only a basic phone for emergencies. It’s a good reminder of what’s really important.

A lot of it though is how we respond to being connected. We’ve all seen people pulling out the blackberry every 2 mins to check email. I rather prefer knowing I can access info but only if I need to. So I might take my iphone on that weekend away but it’s put in a drawer and only used when needed.

By: Fernando

Fernando — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:13:56 +0000

Hmmm, I don’t think I am in the DA realm, but I do feel more comfortable being able to get connected should something important at work needs to be taken care of immediately, or if something with my kids needs attention while I am gone.

I think its all about “taking the good with the bad” in this era of 24/7 connectivity. The trick is to try to maximize the good and minimize the bad. I try to do this constantly…