Upon reflecting about my email process, I have come to realize how unhealthily obsessed we all are with email and the internet. These habits that we are developing will not be good in the long run. The need to check my email all the time has made me pay less attention in my classes and more attention to all the things I can do with the internet on my phone. Yes it is convenient to have it there all the time, but I think it is teaching me and younger kids the wrong values. The hours we spend checking and rechecking out email should be spent being productive. However, even after reflecting on my own email tendencies, I know that I will not change my ways any time soon.
Friday, September 18, 2009
My Email Strategies
Since I went to college a year ago, the way I use my email has completely changed. Yes it was important in high school, but now I feel actually addicted to checking my email. First, I check it in the morning when I wake up just to make sure I don't miss anything about the oncoming day. I check it in between classes, and always before I go to sleep. In lectures I check my mail on my phone just because it is there. My iphone has also changed my email checking habits. Because my email is always at my disposal, I find myself checking more and more frequently, even when I know that I just checked and there probably is nothing new. I feel anxiety when I haven't checked my email in a long time, because convince myself I'm going to miss something important if I don't. I always check emails from the heads of my department first, because those normally are the most important. I delete spam right away and don't even open things that don't look important or are mass emails. Then I go to the less important things that I usually wait longer to respond to because they are less urgent. I don't think my strategies really differ from those of my peers.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree that people today are unhealthily obsessed with the internet. It's alarming how uneasy people feel when they cannot access the internet or have not checked their email in a long time. I know that I am also addicted to the internet along with many other people. However, I know that I will not change my ways either.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that college has forced us to use e-mail more than we ever used to. We've become so attached to e-mail that we couldn't avoid it if we wanted to; it has become a requirement for school. I also agree that there is definitely a level of anxiety that I feel just thinking about the possibility of having a couple new messages. The thought of getting way behind in my e-mails is almost overwhelming, and it's a shame. I agree that this is only going to get worse and worse, and it feels like there's no way out, but hopefully some new technology in the future will allow us to communicate in a less time-consuming manner.
ReplyDeleteI can very closely relate to your obsessive need to check email. I have a blackberry phone which heavily facilitates the constant checking of email. There are times when I wake up in the middle of the night and feel the need to check my email even when I know deep down that no ordinary person sends an email at 4 a.m. I too have no intention of changing my habits; addiction to email is simply a way of life for our generation.
ReplyDeleteI completely understand the obsession with checking you email as I do the same thing. And I also agree with your point that email is becoming destructive. It is true that we spend way too much time checking emails and other internet websites. I think that we should take the time to notice how much email runs our lives and try to cut out some of our obsessive habits.
ReplyDelete