A local magazine wrote an article wondering if some of us have a fear of missing out (FOMO) if we aren’t connected all the time online or by phone. Some said they do, and are on Facebook, twitter, linked in, skype, emails, cell and landlines, blog, text, even still fax and a host of other things checking all the time, in their fear of missing out.
Missing out on what exactly? Seeing baby pictures on someone’s facebook who has 1000 friends? Who has a 1000 friends really? Do they buy these friends presents on their birthday, and invite them over for cups of tea to chat? If someone I care about has baby pictures they want me to see, I trust they’ll send them to me in an email. Send them to me specifically. But that is how I am wired. I like relevant communication and face to face time with people. Online tools can assist in keeping communication going, but it isn’t in place of meaningful human connection. Quite honestly, no matter what I read online in terms of emails or on listservs, unless I have met you, or get to meet you, or you've been recommended by someone I trust, we won’t be doing business together.
And I can’t say the online communication world is making us more wise or clear to make good decisions for our business or personal life. We just seem to get inundated with more and more communication and gadgets to buy and learn how to use. Then sometimes we are on the receiving end of others’ poor choices of messages they send. Often redundant or self-serving rather than a good use of my time. My online access is directly related to people I know or are in my professional world. I don’t cast a wide net trying to bring in a random connection.
I do have several email accounts, websites I administer, listservs I've joined, 2 blogs I attend to erratically, and I’m on linkedin but inactive. I haven’t joined Facebook or Twitter. I don’t have a cell phone. I haven't texted. I do have a lonely, dusty fax only my banker seems to need me to use.
Do I feel I’m missing out by not doing more, being MORE accessible? No. I feel grateful to have gained clarity of what I need to use, when to use it, why I’m using it and how best to use it for my needs. As I spend much time in my office, I don’t have a cell phone. I like to plan meetings, and I like others to value our time so that if we plan a meeting they are aware if they want to change anything they need to do it before I leave the office. That seems fair notice.
Too often we seem to use the accessibility of everyone by cell phone as a means for a spontaneous life of work and play. That has decided advantages, but a few weaknesses too. It means less advance planning and commitment to a plan which in turn affects using time well and being productive.
Many of us creatives have to take blocks of time to focus on our projects away from the online, digital world. Otherwise we wouldn’t create but just be distracted by the array of communication tools full of demands and bleeps but often little meaning for our day to day.
So take a Digital Sabbatical, or Digital Sabbath . Put pen to paper sometime, and see how it feels. If your hand still works. Write a letter and mail it. You’ll surprise someone I feel sure. In a good way. Maybe two people. The sender and the addressee.
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