Mike Maney

I make no pains to hide that I am a proponent of the always on culture. I believe technology is less a shackle and more a liberating tool that frees people from archaic views on time and place relative to work (not to mention the positive effects technology has on the environment and economy via reduced commuting and office air/heating costs).

That said, this post by TechCrunch’s Paul Carr challenges the always on, always connected lives many of us today live:

“And yet this real-time mentality – pictures/tweets or it didn’t happen – continues to seep into every aspect of our lives, both personally and professionally. Whereas once we might attend a conference to watch the speakers and perhaps learn something, today our priority is to live blog it – to ensure our followers know we’re on the inside; first with whatever news might be broken. And it’s not just journalists doing the live-blogging, but anyone with a laptop and a wifi connection.”

I agree with Carr on many points of the post. Technology that allows us to stream our lives should come with a governor that forces us to put down our devices and experience the experience. Yet, not everyone is lifestreaming with the intent of ego; some, like my friend Graeme Thickins, do so to help others learn and — here’s that word again — experience what they are experiencing by — one more time — breaking down the barriers of time and place.

Where do you fall on the always on spectrum? Let’s hear it in the comments.