For all of the entertainment, information access, and cross-country connections technology affords us, it can really do a number on your soul and psyche. In the September issue of Her Nashville magazine, I offer up three ways to keep technology from re-wiring our brains and zapping our productivity. A teaser:
Force your focus:”While new media multitasking is great, science studies show it may not always be best for our brains. In June, The New York Times reported that scientists have discovered that online multitasking may lead to fractured thinking and lack of focus when offline.”
Stop stalking: “The inherent compare and contrast — and the tendency to dwell on it — that accompanies constantly reading about others’ lives isn’t healthy for you, and it isn’t fair to your friends.”
Leave a morsel of mystery: “Lean on your actual friends and family for help, attention, advice, and encouragement. Meanwhile, share just enough online to keep virtual friends updated, making sure not to upload your entire diary.”
Read the full column here!
It’s not the numerous legitimate
privacy concerns that scare me about
Google Buzz. I get
nauseous nauseated* thinking about the first time someone–you, me, an elected official or famous person–mistakes a Buzz reply for an email and says something patently offensive, evil and/or downright embarrassing.
And it’s public. But you thought it was private when you hit send because the Buzz reply was IN YOUR INBOX.
Who’s horrible idea was this? I can’t imagine anything WORSE than putting a very public communications vehicle in someone’s PRIVATE email inbox. Read More…
Image by K!T via Flickr
Good grief. The mayor of a tiny Tennessee town outside of Memphis is throwing a tantrum about missing the end of the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. I love Charlie Brown as much as the next guy, but seriously? Does this really warrant publishing a Facebook rant about how the President of the United States is a Christ-hating, Charlie Brown-interrupting Muslim?
I’m embarrassed for three reasons:
A) this guy is an elected official, and
B) he is making important decisions on behalf of folks in my home state, and
C) dude clearly doesn’t understand there is no privacy on the Internet. Not that he was seeking privacy when he posted this insanity for 1,600 “friends” to see. Read More…
Nope. Not even if you delete something you said, mark your account private and/or keep only close friends on your roster.
To help us all remember that, please repeat after me this not-at-all-brilliant, but 100 percent accurate mantra:
Tweet with caution, Facebook with care – ten years from now, it will still be out there.
On second thought, print it out and tape it to your computer monitor.
XOXO –Flackrabbit
