I love technology (.org)

The current TV ad for the iPhone, in the UK, centres around Facebook. It basically asks you if you check your Facebook account every time you are in front of your computer, and it tells you that now, you will be able to do the same when you are, well, away from your computer.

It is a sign of the times that, for marketing reasons, Apple has decided this was a good campaign. Apple is in the initial phase of the marketing campaign, going after the potential “early adopters”. When you see the ad, you are induced into thinking that yes, it would be cool if you could check your Facebook account wherever you were. I’m not a huge Facebook user (I login a few times a week) but it almost worked on me!

Now, forward two years, when all the competing mobile phone brands will have developped handsets similar to the iPhone. Are we all going to log into our Facebook account at every spare second we have?

This morning, i got an email from a musician and producer, suggesting that we collaborate on a song together (along with writing this blog, i write songs). I was in two minds about it for various reasons, so i turned to my partner, asking for advice. My partner pointed out that i didn’t have to answer straight away, that i could think about it for a few days. This answer almost shocked me, because i had somehow convinced myself that i had to reply straight away because i was sitting in front of my computer reading my emails.

I love communication gadgets, i was an early adopter of email, i’m on MySpace, Facebook and many other social networking websites, and i tend to reply to texts and emails as soon as i get them. But it’s good to remind yourself that you don’t have to.

It’s OK to take time to think about things. It’s OK to take time to enjoy what you are doing, be it reading a book, watching a film, having a conversation with your friends, without checking your email, your mobile phone and your numerous social networking accounts. It’s OK to enjoy what is physically around you and live in the moment.

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