Time

Technology has always been about giving us more time. The promise of the plow, the vacuum cleaner and the smartphone have all been the same: with this tool you can do more in less time. But the unsaid claim is that you'll end up with spare time that you can use for whatever you want. The logical end to the constant advances in technology should be that we have nothing but spare time.

I'm sure you're not experiencing that problem.

Rather than technology giving us more time, it seems to take time away from us. Getting a Facebook account requires time maintaining the relationships online. Getting a smartphone eats into the little chunks of time you have between other things so that you're always looking at the thing.

Where is all our time?

If we let technology happen to us, then we won't ever have any spare time. It will be devoured by all of the tools that we have. But, if we use technology for our benefit, then we can keep time for ourselves. When I was growing up, my dad wouldn't answer the phone during dinner time (or if there was something else going on). He said that he has a phone for his convenience, not the convenience of the people trying to call him. That attitude gave us time to sit and eat a meal together.

Your technology exists for your convenience, not the convenience of others to get ahold of you.

How can you claim more time by the way you use the tools you have?