Technology Or Time Management?
By Pam Toulouse
It is not often that I feel compelled to write in to the newspaper. However after reading the “Open Forum” article in the MV Progress February 20 edition (Where Does The Time Go?) I felt the need to express my opinion. I felt that the writer of the “Open Forum” article was confusing poor time management (multi-tasking falls under this category) with technology. The writer also gave me the impression that she felt she had more control over her life by not using computers than those who do.
The use of technology to benefit our individual lifestyle is a choice we make. Some of us will use it in every facet of our lives, others will use it minimally. But regardless of how each individual chooses to use it, it has benefited our lives and our world, and we need to recognize and respect this.
Computers can process and manage information much quicker and more efficiently than any person I know. You can store massive amounts of data in a minuscule space and retrieve it in seconds, regardless of your location in the world. Electronic documents and transactions are considered legal and binding in today’s world. Emails and attachments can be used in court proceedings and have been. Thank Goodness, gone are the days when we had rooms full of file cabinets and shelves full of documents.
Now as far as writing checks and doing business face to face, for me this is a choice of being prudent versus gregarious; I will pay bills online. Each time a document is handled the risk of error is increased, so if I can eliminate writing a check (which could result in an error), and handing it to someone who will then have to put the information from the check into a computer (which could result in another error) I will do so. I can also save myself the cost of a check, the cost of a stamp and/or the cost of gasoline to drive to a local business or the post office. And I love having the power and flexibility to pay bills anytime, day or night, on weekends and when I’m on the road!
As for identity theft, I haven’t seen any statistics on who’s at a higher risk for having their identity stolen, those who write checks or those who pay bills online. I do know that it can happen both ways. I personally believe that being well informed on identity theft prevention is the key to keeping it from happening to you. And even if you are not banking online, your account is online. It is sitting on a computer right next to the accounts of all those that are banking online, and if someone hacks into that bank’s computer, your information is fair game with everyone else’s. The IRS stores your tax information online, the county stores your property records online, and on, and on, and on. So even if you choose not to use, or even to own, a computer, you are still online.
For me viewing my bank accounts online and having real time information empowers me. When I pay for my groceries at Lin’s with my debit card I can view that transaction online the minute I get home; if it does not match my receipt I can immediately take action. If I had written a check it would have been days if not weeks before it hit my account. If you’re not banking online I suppose you would have to wait for your monthly statement before you could view your bank transactions and make sure that they are your own.
And with regards to using a ball point pen and paper for correspondence, as with all things it has its place. Luckily you were able to see your words in print because someone else took the time to read your hand-written words and key them into a computer.
And lastly, I own a truck with a stick shift and roll down windows, and it has nothing to do with my choice to embrace technology and manage my time wisely.
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