My friend Ivan calls it "technological stress."
We live in a day and age where gadget use is inevitable. Broadband connection makes information exchange instantaneous. People are interconnected, thanks to social networking, computers and the ever-increasing use of mobile devices. The time we spend on websites like Facebook and Twitter has grown considerably the past few years.
With this change in lifestyle, the virtual has an obvious effect on real life.
For instance, I get easily pissed off when my internet connection conks out. Although it is a rare occurrence (PLDT My DSL is reliable enough), I get these mild withdrawal symptoms whenever it happens. A computer failure is even more stressful. Yes, I am a cheap skate. My being frugal (and at times, cash-strapped) has forced me to use obsolescent gadgets.
I bought my main PC second-hand three years ago. It is a cannibalized IBM ThinkCentre, originally manufactured back in 2003. Come to think of it, my motherboard is now approximately 9 years old! In terms of gadget age, my trusty old PC is a dinosaur. And yet, I've been prolonging purchasing a new machine for the longest time, opting to use my computer know-how to prolong its shelf life.
Despite the occassional coughs and colds, my PC works like a charm. I'd have to put in new RAM chips, though, to ensure that it stays this way.
When it comes to my choice of cell phones, I follow the same, no-frills mantra. Instead of shelling out a good Php 15,000.00 for a savvy smartphone, I have opted to make do with my mom's hand-me-down Nokia 5130. I love the fact that it's lightweight. It also doubles as an mp3 player. I've been tempted to join the smartphone bandwagon many times. But a deeper reflection of my personal needs and wants always reiterates the foregone conclusion: I do not need 24/7 Facebook and Twitter connection.
With my three blogs and active social networking presence, getting a smartphone might just be the last nail on the coffin of my social life!
Gadgets and the our oh-so-precious internet connection are bound to conk out once in a while. Perhaps the best - and cheapest - way to mitigate the effects of "technological stress" is to keep things simple.
