Cost of Technology on Human Interaction



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A beautiful field, blooming with flowers. The sparkling snow covering the earth. The crunch of leaves under your feet. Are you too busy to enjoy the simple things in life? Between keeping up at work and spending time with family, it's difficult to think deeply about life... especially with a smartphone in your hands.

What does technology mean to us? Could we live without it anymore? Mike Daisey, an actor, commentator, and general jack-of-all-trades is opening a one-man show about the effects of iPhones and Steve Jobs on our lives.

In an article from the San Francisco Examiner, author Georgia Rowe discusses Daisey's newest show where he shares his trip to Foxconn, a company in China, where about half of the world's electronics are made.

Located in Shenzhen, a former fishing village, it is a hellish place where 400,000 people — many of them children — work 32-hour shifts and sleep stacked to the ceiling in tiny concrete bunkers. This, he discovered, is where iPods are made — not by machines, but by his fellow humans, some of whom are so stressed they are committing suicide by jumping off the factory roof. Foxconn employs 800,000 people and incidents of suicide are not few and far between.

In fact, the Associated Press reported the following:

Police said the man survived after cutting himself in his dormitory room at the factory, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. It said the 25-year-old man, surnamed Chen, migrated from central Hunan province and began working at Foxconn two months ago.

The 12 previous suicide attempts at Foxconn Technology Group’s operations in southern China involved workers who jumped from buildings. Two survived. Another worker killed himself in January at a factory in northern China.

Yes this is horrible, you're probably thinking, but what does this mean for me and my technology use? An October 2010 Associated Press-mtvU Poll found that 25% of college students reported that it would be a relief to be without their new technology. They feel pressured to answer texts and phone calls and periodically feel nervous or anxious when waiting for a reply to a text. Also, people are more exposed to negative attributes like flaming or hacking.

Next time you go outside, leave your phone in your pocket and breathe in some stress-free minutes like those at the Foxconn company are surely craving.

Snow, Cell Phones and Work/Life Balance



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 Fifteen degrees below zero didn't bother me much this morning until I attempted to start my car. Over and over, I cranked the key, desperately willing my wonderful 1995 Dodge Intrepid to turn over. Guess it wasn't brave enough to battle the bitterly cold weather. My solution: pull out my cell phone to call my dad. No answer. Luckily my mom answered her cell phone and drove to my aid.

There is constant conversation regarding the pros and cons of cell phones especially when it comes to work/life balance. Both of my parents were at work. More than likely, my dad was in a meeting with his cell phone off, inhibiting his ability to balance the needs of his daughter with the demands of his job. Contrastingly, my mom had access to her phone at her job and had the ability to simply leave to take care of something personal.

According to a 2007 study by the Australian National University (ANU), 58% of men responded that it would be 'difficult' or 'impossible' to do their job without a cell phone while only 35% of women felt this way. The study also discussed the use of cell phones over the holidays, finding that 59% of managers were likely to use their cell phones during the holidays.

The study concluded that:

Wireless mobile devices increase the scope for work and family flexibility by enabling the micro-coordination of time, tasks, and schedules. This is particularly significant as people are now working at times and places outside of the traditional workday and place. It is widely believed that technologies like the mobile phone and e-mail are blurring boundaries between personal life and the workplace.

A 2008 article from The Washington Post provides research completed by the Pew Internet and American Life Project that suggests families are not worse off because of technology. Twenty-five percent of respondents said that they are actually closer families because they are able to keep in contact throughout the day. So, as in the ANU study, cell phones can have a positive effect on how people manage their work and personal life.

Work/life balance doesn't escape the ears of the cell phone companies who try to market their products to on-the-go people who need to stay in touch with their colleagues and their families. T-Mobile released a phone in 2010 that they claim promotes work/life balance because of its switchable home screen feature that allows users to go back and forth between business and personal screens.

Now it's 2011 and the number of people using their cell phone to stay connected to their job has increased, but companies like T-Mobile have made it easier to stay in balance. However, we need to remember that a cell phone can always be turned off and email can go unchecked for an evening. The important thing is to stay balanced.