Is More, Really More?
As the internet grows and becomes flooded with services like Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, Communities, Forums, Instant Messaging, Video Messaging and more. It becomes more and more challenging to mangage your career, online life, your projects, clients and also your personal life.
For most of us, it’s a challenge to get your work done and focus with all of these other distractions in front of us on a daily, hourly, and even down to the minute basis.
I am writing this article to hopefully help some of you (and myself) to realize that More, is Not Really More. For about 6 years straight I worked two full time jobs. A day job as a designer / front end developer and at night at home doing the same with my own clients. (Now, don’t get me wrong, I truly feel that if I did not put in and earn my own, through much hard work, that I would not be where I am today.)
As progressions moved forward in my career I started to find out that being “plugged-in” 12-14 hours a day was not only killing the creative inspiration engine inside of me, but also making me dislike the career that I love so much. When you realize thoughts like that in your head, it makes you realize that you need to do something about it. That you need to change your process and figure things out. So, that’s what I did. Since then things are much better.
Here’s what I’ve noticed over the past year or so. These are just a general observations watching from emails, twitter, facebook, instant message, etc. Most designers, techy’s, or just in general “computer” people:
- begin tweeting, facebook status updates, blogging, instant messaging and emails as early as 5am and continue, literally, all day long!
- stop tweeting, facebook status updates, blogging,instant messaging and emails as late as 3am
On top of that, most of these same people are in meetings, phone calls or simply just performing what they do for a living. Where it gets interesting is that most of these people will also admit that they feel something is “wrong” if they are not “plugged-in” to their feeds and the internet throughout the day. Which is where you see people standing at the gas pump reading their streams!
So, where does that leave us? What does that say about our society and us as individuals in general? What does that say about the quality of our work and our focus?
In my opinion those are some serious questions! What would your clients or boss say if he/she knew that throughout the day you’re clicking on twitter/facebook and RSS feed links, reading posts, then talking to people online all day long? Do you think they would feel comfortable and confident in your work? My first instinct is, probably not!
The overall point that I am trying to make is that over the past five years or so there has been and increasing rate of the need to be plugged-in constantly. People tweet, facebook,instant message and blog literally all day long over a 12-15 hour time span. I think that we’re missing out on life, friends, family, hobbies and all the “real” important aspects. We’re becoming less human and more digital and I truly believe that it’s making our work, creative process and habits worse and worse. It disturbs me.
After all, it’s a lot easier to grab a copy of Helvetica Nueue, grab condensed, do some bold and ultra bold and call it day. Rather than going out and buying a font, or heck, even taking the time to creat your own. Now, that’s just one example, this type of example could relate to all sorts of people and idustries.
Here’s what I have tried for a few months to try and change my daily process:
- checking emails only 3-4 times per day, closing my mail application inbetween sessions so that I can’t see that wonderful little red star indicating I have MORE mail to read and respond to.
- marking my instant messenging programs as away, when I am working, or simply signing out of them
- closing / minimizing social apps like tweet deck and checking once an hour or so. Or simply closing it down all the way.
- opening interesting links in tabs or bookmarking to read later (blogs, forums, etc)
In almost all cases, I have failed. Why? Because it’s literally addicting. It’s like smoking or something! I have found now, that the only way to improve, is to stick to a process and be strong about it. It takes a lot of discipline, especially if you’ve worked this way for quite some time. To date, I continue to work at this new schedule and struggle with it daily. Nonetheless, it’s a daily battle.
What’s funny is that I typically end up working 1-2 hours more, per day, to complete my tasks because of all the time wasted on the social networks and internet. Right now, it’s the only way that I can compensate my time and meet deadlines. I imagine, the more and more that I “look” at my days being 1-2 hours shorter, by eliminating these distractions (because, that’s all they really are), the more appealing that change will become, in my head.
In the end, my opinion is that More is Not Really More. You’re not gaining anything by tweeting all day, or updating your facebook status, or commenting on a blog. Some may argue, “I am gaining traffic to my website” or this or that, but seriously, I doubt it’s enough to make an impact. For some, there’s probably hard evidence, but for the vast majority of us, it’s a gain that is only in our heads of some type of virtual social acceptance. (please make no mistake, I am a victim of these “gains” too)
I think the bigger picture of what I am trying to say here is: If you want more traffic to your site, or you want to build your business, or a reputation: DO GREAT WORK, FOCUS ON QUALITY, OVER DELIVER. Don’t sit and spend all your time online, tweeting about useless information that nobody even cares about. Or smacking the #nwindiana hash tag on everything so that your the “king” of some list that means absolutely nothing.
Now if that’s not good advice, then I don’t know what is, seriously. In fact, I’ll take some of that advice myself, because we all need it in my opinion.
So, I challenge you to ask yourself, is More, Really More? Can you make it through half of a day without being online, or starring at your cell phone? Have you tried? Please, let us know your thoughts!
Author Info: Atom Groom
I founded NWICreative.org to spark interest in the hearts of artists, creatives and the like in our region online. I want nothing more than to see our creative community grow and flourish.
I agree 100%. Seems like Facebook (more so than twitter for me), I use as a tool for procrastination. StumbleUpon is just as bad if not worse. I think a lot of the sites/tools had good intentions when they started, but they have become obsessions for so many people. It’s comparable to wanting to know what is happening in Hollywood all the time, people are afraid they are going to miss something.
I will take this challenge. I believe you are right in that it can take away from the work that you could accomplish during the day if it were not for these distractions.
I also find it funny that I came to read this article because of a tweet!
Hi Ryan!
Yup, that’s hilarious! I know I sent this particular article over to Joseph Gonzalez to review and he said the exact same thing.
I think he mentioned how classic it would have been to mail this article out to everyone individually! lol!
AG
I refuse to get any smart phone, not just because I am cheap, but I need time unplugged from the internet. I don’t want to be at the gas pump checking twitter or eating dinner with friends checking email. That’s bullshit!
You’re right that’s it’s addicting though. When I am at home and I’m by a computer, I have to do many of the things you do. Close and/or minimize programs. Don’t compulsively check email. Twitter is my biggest vice.
It’s why I go to cafes to write… longhand. It gets me away from the computer and away from the internet, so all that’s left is me, paper, a Bic and my ideas.
Works wonders.
I have to admit that I am way too plugged in. I used to be very anti-internet, but these social networks have drawn me in. I think it is because you get the sense of being connected to your friends and such.
Sharing experiences and ideas with the world is something that is very interesting to me. I don’t deny that I tweet on my phone, but at the same time, I don’t think that it is a horrible thing.
I will say that I use some of the social networks to plan out events or make plans with people. Not just tweetups, but lunches and just hanging out with people. You can’t just socialize on the internet, you have to meet face to face and get away from the computer.
I don’t have an answer about is it good or is it not good. At my last job, I tweeted often, but I don’t feel that it took away from my production. But I can’t get on Facebook because it is too involving. Maybe we can start up a focus group.
This is one tricky subject to argue with but you have a good point. Designers won’t get anything out of the social networks except other people reading what you post. Now, for most designers it would be best to focus on work instead of goofing off on twitter but then what if you were that person who wanted to pursue getting your name out there on a global scale? What if you could juggle freelance, and agency work while contributing your knowledge and skills to other blogs, online magazines and tweets thus building yourself a fanbase? Think about it. If you really wanted to and kept up with it? Would it really be worth anything?
Why not ask people like Jacob Cass and David Airey if extensive blogging can really get you anywhere or get international agencies interested in you. You never really know. It just depends on what you want to get out of it.
If it is compensation you want then no, you’re right, there is no point. However, if you just want to advertise and promote yourself as much as possible, then who’s to say it’s not a good idea? But what those two have proven is blogging and contributing to other blogs as well as pursuing for more work somehow racks up more clients. I mean, how can you have over 40 professional recommendations from around the world when you’re only 21 years old?
Type in those two names in google and you get at least 10 pages of interviews and articles about these guys, and 30,000 twitter followers, why? for being social nuts. I guess it’s fame that some designers are after and people talk. It is networking. I personally don’t see anything wrong with it as long as you can properly get your work accomplished too but that is my opinion. Like I said, it’s a tricky subject to argue with. To some, it’s not worth it. To others, it’s because of it.
I think about this topic a lot, and I totally agree. While it is definitely easier to be distracted when you’re at the computer doing design work, I know for a fact that it eats away at my studio time and creative solitude for doing fine art work as well. The other side effect, however, is that it seems that clients, friends, colleagues, etc. now expect that we’re all wired 24 hours a day and get frantic when we don’t respond lighting fast. I feel this intense pressure to respond immediately to things (but maybe that’s just my own inner voice).