What is it about cell phones, email, and the internet that is so addicting?

Wherever I go, I see people on their phones. How many times have you walked down the street and observed people talking on their phones? How often does the ringing of a cell phone interrupt a meeting or performance? How often do people excuse themselves from a conversation and speak on the phone as though there is no one else around? Its use has clearly affected our sense of privacy, priorities, and manners.

Personally, I avoided cell phones for quite a long time. And, while I appreciate their usefulness for safety and convenience, I am concerned that our use of them has gone well beyond necessity. They have, in some ways, redefined the way many people live their lives. I have to admit that there are times when the cell phone seems to run my life. When I’m in my car and the phone is there, I feel compelled to call someone. This allows me to get any number of things done in a seemingly efficient and effective manner. In fact, I feel guilty when I am not taking advantage of the time in the car to get the calls done. Of course, while I don’t advocate driving and talking on the phone simultaneously and try not to do it, I know I’ve been guilty of it. I can’t help but think how it impacts my ability to drive carefully and with as much attention as I should. Why is it that we seem so compelled to be available wherever we are?

What about email and the internet? I hate to admit it, but the first thing I do when I get up in the morning and the last thing I do before I go to bed at night is check my email and look at a couple of my favorite websites for news and sports reports. This does not include the countless times at school when I am responding to email at my desk or the times in the middle of the night when I check email or websites. More than once, I have emailed others at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. There’s an irony here: when I arrive at school and find twenty, thirty, or forty emails, I am frustrated at the number that I have to attend to and the amount of time that I’ll need to respond to them. Yet on the rare occasions when I open my email accounts and find nothing there, I am disappointed. It’s almost as if I suffer from withdrawal. When I am away for a few days, the first day or two I’m yearning for access to email, but by the third or fourth day I am happy to be without it. Do any of you feel the same way?

Of course, each day we develop more tools to increase our communication wherever we are. With the new handheld computers such as the Blackberry, you are never without the ability to communicate. As access to these technologies has increased, use of them has gone from a luxury to a necessity, and in some instances they have come to dominate our lives. Selfishly, I wonder if this is good. Isn’t it important that we have some time that is completely private?

As I consider the speed with which these technologies have developed and the intensity with which they have taken over our lives, I’m concerned about what the future will bring. Knowing that we are human and that we cannot possibly stay up with the advances as quickly as they come, I am left with the realization that it will always take us time to figure out their appropriate place in our lives. With that said, as quickly as our lives are going, it becomes essential for us to find a way to slow down, not speed up. How do we monitor the use of the technological advances and find the appropriate place in our lives for these technologies and others to come?

When I think about the progress that these innovations have allowed, I am reminded of the fundamental law of chemistry: every action has an equal and opposite reaction. There is no question that with the growth and progress of technological innovation have come costs. For example, one of my concerns about email is that, while it has increased our ability to communicate, it has decreased the number of face-to-face interactions. Believing as I do that relationships are the basis for growth, we must be sure that we do not allow technological communications to replace face-to-face interactions. Moreover, it’s clear that people say things via email that they never would say in person. We need to remember that once you put something in email (or imail), it’s in writing. It’s important to understand the context of our communications and maintain responsibility for what we write. This is particularly relevant for our kids, who are emailing or instant messaging one another on a regular basis. Unfortunately, they can be cruel to one another in a way that few people can imagine. As parents, we need to monitor our own use and oversee our children’s use as well. It’s a difficult challenge.

I want to thank those people who attended our Heads’ Forums on the finances of the School. Knowing that a number of people had conflicts, and believing as I do that it’s important for everyone in the community to have an understanding of this area of the School, I have decided to add another forum in March on Shipley’s finances. It will be on Thursday, March 10, at 8:30 a.m. in Beechwood House. (Having had one in the evening and one on the afternoon, it’s my hope that the morning time will be better for those who are dropping off their children.) If you were not able to come to the presentations in February, please join us in March.

And, although it may seem early, I want to mention our biennial auction on April 16. This year’s theme is Moulin Rouge. Having had the chance to observe the work of the committee, I anticipate that it will be a fabulous fundraiser and an even better community builder. It should be a great deal of fun. My thanks go to our tri-chairs Marylyn Jeffers, Elaine Lisle, and Danna Nehrbas and all of the people working on the committees. I hope you are able to come!

Warmest regards,
 
Steven S. Piltch
Head of School