Media 6: Finding Time in a Digital Age

“The unparalleled velocity of computerization, telecommunications, and transport, which was expected to free up human time, has paradoxically been accompanied by a growing sense of time pressure.” (p.163)

Judy Wacjman’s exploration of the increase in ‘time pressure’ in 21st century society is a topical one, given that (for me, at least) it does seem as if there’s less and less time to accomplish things in an age of Internet, smartphones and endless technological innovations. She details how “technological acceleration produces not more leisure and downtime, but in fact an ever-faster pace of life”, (p.164) while emphasizing the irony of this statement. Every new invention, every incremental technological upgrade is sold to us on the basis of efficiency. Faster internet allows us to get through more sites, more work. Streaming services enable us to watch what we want, when we want. More powerful smartphones allow us to store more data. However, as Wacjman points out, the more this “vast array of products and services” (p.171) infiltrates our life, the more they “can make us feel harried” (p.169).

I found a couple of her points interesting – her contention that “one rarely noted way in which technologies consume time is that their rapid cycle of renewal requires an ongoing investment in skill acquisition” (p.171) was particularly apt, I thought. For someone like me, who takes a while to engage with and understand any new technology, upgrades and new devices take up a fair portion of my time, just to get to grips with them. Wacjman goes on to point out that “our lower expectations of software have been well managed by marketing, so that we often blame ourselves for its deficiency.” (p.171) This seems to me an excellent point. If my car broke down as often as my iPhone did, I would be apoplectic with rage. When my phone freezes, or inexplicably deletes my data, I just shrug and move on. I blame myself for being technologically illiterate.

I also enjoyed Wacjman’s discussion on the growing appeal for “a slower life” (p.174), where groups resent the hectic new world of technology and long for the way things were. This doesn’t seem to be the answer to me, but I can definitely appreciate the desire. Right now, as I type this while keeping my eye on multiple open tabs, surrounded by all manner of technologies, cursing the lack of time I have to write this (despite having had all week to get it done), I can definitely appreciate it. I’d say that’s more of a reflection on my adaptation to this new world than the technology itself, though.