I found this week’s reading to be quite convoluted and hypothetical, and didn’t quite get what I thought I would out of it.
From the title, “Finding Time in a Digital Age”, I expected the article to focus more on the art of escaping the all-consuming digital world, rather than technological innovation and subsequent efficiencies. While both are interesting, the former is a concept I personally struggle with on a daily basis.
I must say, I had a giggle at Keynes’ hypothesis that in the 21st century, we “…would only have to work three hours a day to satisfy all our needs”. Working in social media, it’s almost impossible to restrict myself to the 8 or so hours a day I am employed to work.
The missing link from this chapter concerns the following; although processes are digitalised and made automated, this does not allow for less work for the individual, but rather additional tasks and projects are taken on in order to fill that time ‘gained’. I have experienced this in my short career so far, and can subsequently predict that this will continue to be a factor moving forward.
The following quote truly spoke to me to a point where I was sure I was reading my own biography;
“They work too much, eat to quickly, socialize too little, drive and sit in traffic for too many hours, don’t get enough sleep, and feel harried too much of the time.”
Reading up on the notion of immediacy brought me back to the ‘It’s Alive’ studio I completed in 2015, inferring the unavoidable concept of liveness digital platforms and technologies have immersed us within.
As my eyes become heavy and my brain filled, all I can say is good luck to my fellow graduates-to-be, as continued efficiency and productivity in the media industry converts to raised expectations and impacted responsibility.
