We Shouldn’t Have To Be Available 24/7- And That’s Okay
“Hey Siri.” My screen lights up, waiting patiently for the command. Once it’s done, it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Do not disturb. ‘Freedom,’ I think to myself, diving into whatever it is that warranted this harrowing need for going off the grid.
For as long as I can remember, technology has been at our fingertips, first with the headache-inducing cry of the dial up tone, then with the monstrosities they called cell phones. (With antennas!) In only a decade and some change we’ve come even further, carrying our lives in the palm of our hands.
Literally.
With this technology comes new expectations- we no longer leave voicemails and are content with a phone call back two days after the fact, and if a FaceTime gets rejected you may as well have stabbed the person in the back. It’s given us this notion that we’ll be available at any given moment, and no response means they MUST hate you. (anxiety tends to take care of that anyway)
In response to this, we have become an ‘on’ society. But when our world is so full of technology and social media that there are now jobs dedicated to it, how much ~on~ is too much? Is it a crime to want to unplug a bit when we can?
I often think about the days before social media- millennials are a unique bunch in that we saw the tech revolution of the 2000s whilst still having vivid memories of calling our friends on our cordless (!!!) landline phones- & how much less stress we must’ve felt. You just went through your day, not worrying about if you left your phone at home or what if there’s an emergency? We made do because it was all we had known for so long. But once something new & shiny came along, we attached to it and held on for dear life.
When I hear people drone on about the generation that “ruined everything” and how “technology is the devil” I have to laugh a bit because it’s often the opposite. Technology continues to make waves and connect us in new ways everyday. However, we also have to learn a balance between staying connected and plugging down. There’s a reason why the most connected generation is also the loneliest- we’re burnt out!
We shouldn’t put the pressure on ourselves to be available 24/7- and we shouldn't put the pressure on others, either. It’s okay if texts go unanswered for a little longer than usual or the decline button gets pushed.
You can’t pour from an empty cup.
