Remembering downtime
| September 21, 2011 | Posted by Sophy Bot under The offline world, Work/Life Separation |
It’s no secret that technology is everywhere. Touchscreen this, automated that, internet-connected those; in the modern world, there’s just no running away from our electronic counterparts. This we do not seem to mind. The part that gives us trouble is the fact that technology is every-when.
According to a recent report from iPass, 35% of mobile workers check their email first thing in the morning, with most others checking in throughout their morning routine. By the time they actually begin the day’s work, a full 83.5% of mobile workers have already logged into their email accounts. Half of all employed email users check their work mail on the weekends, according to another report from Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life project. Yet another report by Nielsen reveals that Americans spend 23% of their time online using social networks, most of that time occurring in the evenings after work. At a time when most of us keep our smartphones within arm’s reach of where we sleep, is there any hope for recouping some of our long-forgotten downtime?
Social Thermostat by Hugo Eccles
This is where Designer Hugo Eccles comes in. Unveiled this week during a group show at this week’s London Design Festival, Eccles has created several devices whose sole purpose is to “jam the communication channels.” Whether cutting off all forms of technology completely, blocking workers from accessing social networks during the day, or turning the bedroom into a no-social-network zone, these Slow Tech devices are aimed at bringing downtime back into our daily lives. Details and photos after the jump.
via Cool Hunting
Statistics via Marketing Charts and Mashable
Social Thermostat photo credit: Cool Hunting
Additional photo credit: GS+
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