The
recently-released book by Canadian journalist and editor Michael Harris, The
End of Absence: Reclaiming What We've Lost in a World of Constant Connection,
goes in-depth about a topic many of us think about on a regular basis: our
predilection for staying connected. Whether by social media, email, various
apps, or texting, our days are filled—from the moment we wake up until we
sleep—with information and communication.
In
the book Harris writes, "Every revolution in communication technology --
from papyrus to the printing press to Twitter -- is as much an opportunity to
be drawn away from something as it is to be drawn toward something. And yet, as
we embrace a technology's gifts, we usually fail to consider what we're giving
up in the process. Why would we bother to register the end of solitude, of
ignorance, of lack? Why would we care that an absence had disappeared?" And,
while the questions are valid ones, how much of the information we gather from
our connectedness is valuable, or even useful?
Toward
the end of the book, Harris takes a month-long media
sabbatical.
He doesn’t have any great epiphany, nor does he lament the current state of
affairs. Rather, he simply names the thing that’s happening, and puts his own
spin on it by calling attention to the generation that understands the Before and
After Internet (a birth year of 1985 being the cutoff), and discussing their
unique characteristics.
While
there may be things we’ve lost in our world of constant connection, there’s
also much to be gained. In the end, technology is simply a tool to be utilized
to the best of our ability, but how we use it can make all the difference. By
spreading information and raising awareness, our connectedness can change the
world, or many lives—or even just one life.
At
Kinetik I.T. we understand the importance of this “connectedness”. Most of our clients rely on it to not
only do business with their customers, but also to improve the quality of
services they provide. We know the
information data era we live in will only grow larger as
people become more dependent on the tools used to interact with each
other. Finding the value and
usefulness in this technology to positively enhance the world we live in is the
only way we want to do business. We strive to do inspiring work for the
companies and individuals who entrust their own inspiring work to us.
To learn more about web hosting, and a wide array of other services and
products, visit www.Kinetik-IT.com
or follow Kinetik I.T. on Facebook,
LinkedIn
or Twitter.
