Disconnect While Connecting

After reading WIlliam Power's book, "Hamlet's Blackberry" a certain point to me stuck out like a sore thumb; Chapter Nine, titled "Inventing Your Life." The chapter's first paragraph goes on to talk about how no-email Fridays would be a successful way to go about our business week. For just one day a week, we completely disconnect ourselves via email/technology and allow more personal interactions to arise.
Powers' discusses that it echos the casual Friday act that everyone so quickly responded to in a positive manner. I, however, think disconnecting would be relaxing although initially stressful. In fact, on page 163 it reads, "man is a sociable being, and it is... one of the worst punishments to be excluded from society." Powers could not have worded it any better. Although, i do not have any book or movie to reference, I do have personal knowledge as well as a credible educational background that backs me up when I say, we as a individuals need society. There is no way to go around it. In our society, no-email Friday is more of a management problem than not enough cokes in the vending machines. We are dependent upon communication with one another. In the present day, we get emails constantly throughout the day. A few years ago, it wasn't uncommon to hear back from someone by the end of the day if you emailed them in the morning. However, if I got an email today, I can almost guarantee that individual will have a  response within at least one hour, sometimes one minute if I am on my computer. I understand that Powers' thinks that this type of solution will help you invent yourself by causing you to network and interact on a face-to-face basis but I think more people will get frustrated than relieved. Overall, I think no-email Friday would be a positive way to invent your life like Powers suggest. Although i hate to say it, I just dont think it is a realistic option for today's society. Especially for the Gen-Y era whom are constantly multitasking and attempting (key word) to do five things at once.

The Joy of Quiet, What Is It Worth?

After recently reading a NY Times article, "The Joy of Quiet," I made a significant correlation to the current bills attempted to being passed, SOPA and PIPA. In the NY Times article it discussed that our society has become so overwhelmed with technology and social media networking today that more often than none, we are trying to avoid it at all costs. The cost of course being a wager in eliminating all communication for "x" amount of time. For many years in our society we have been told that having the newest, nicest, quickest, most up-to-date items will make us successful. However, in the article it recalls that we actually need to step away from this busy and flustered life in order to be successful. Being happy and successful is parallel to finding yourself within the stillness of life. 
Now, ask me in 20 minutes when I'm par-oozing on Facebook and I'll probably contradict all that I'm about to say. Yet, there is a slight chance that SOPA/PIPA are solutions to this problem our society is having to find the stillness in life. On the off chance that you are not familiar with SOPA and PIPA, they are acts which "Stop Online Piracy" and "Prevent Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property." On the TED blog (can be seen below), I recently watched a video, "Why SOPA is a bad idea" by Clay Shirky. In the video, Shirky talks about how if these bills are passed our lives will change drastically, there is no argument in that. However, what if these bills merely simplify our lives. They would be taking away majority of free speech, which i fully disagree with. However, they are also looking to take away a lot of complications and reduce the over abundance of technology available to us. I'm not saying I agree with the two bills, I just think it is something to consider. If we want to enjoy the peace and quiet in the world than sacrifices have to be made and certain things will have to be eliminated. We need to make an ethical decision to determine what it is we are willing to give up for the gift of a joyous and simplified lifestyle. Beggars can't be choosers, I suppose the saying goes.