While reading Hamlet's Blackberry, it gave me an opportunity to really think about how technology has impacted and completely changed our world. We go so little without interacting with a screen. I am typing this on a screen right now...it's interesting to think about what you do in a day. How much of that could still be accomplished without technology? No doubt it would be much less convenient, but how would eliminating many of the new technological devices we have come dependent on really change us?
While thinking about this, I have related it to my field of choice, public relations. PR is a fast-paced industry, full of constant communication. A major component of public relations is transparency. The PR industry has put much emphasis on the importance of being open and transparent in order to be ethical PR practitioners today.
How has technology influenced what transparency means today? To be "transparent" is synonymous with open and constant communication. Does this mean having a phone with you at all times, being 100% available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? When does this idea of constant communication and openness become just too much? Do we even know what too much is?
We have been conditioned to live in a world of constantly evolving technology. What is newer and faster is always better. When the idea of public relations first developed, much of the integral technology we now use was not even an idea. Having a smart phone or tablet that could allow you to check email, or even email for that matter, was not even considered.
It is important to step back and think what is good and bad about technology today. It is absolutely convenient, but is it the best thing for us? We need time to find our happiness, our "quiet" in the fast paced world of today. However, some may say our world doesn't allow us to "unplug" from all the technology and get away. It is important in all of our professional careers to find the balance of happiness and success in a world full of technology.
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