Historically, the Industrial Revolution and subsequently, the "technology revolution," were predicted to enable more leisure time for workers. Yet, when we take a look around us, we see overwhelmed, stressed-out people attempting to manage multiple communication channels in their business and personal lives.


"Early in the nineteenth century, most Americans worked twelve hours a day, six days a week. The work week shrank gradually during the nineteenth century and more quickly during the twentieth. The traditional six-day week was shortened to five and a half days during the 1920s and to the five-day, forty-hour week during the 1930s." (Preservation Institute)
What happened? The shortening of the official work week was supposed to free us and give us more time for our families and friends while allowing us to sustain the same standards of living. Yet, we are bombarded by more communication devices, tools, and channels than ever before. From the traditional telephone and telex, we got the fax machine, then the Internet, e-mail, blogs and social networking sites. The ocean of communication channels increases rapidly. The questions are...

1. As exciting as these new channels are, are we (as marketers) becoming slaves to them, attempting to keep up for fear of falling behind and becoming obsolete?
2. How does this situation contribute to the division between our work and leisure time?
3. Are we addicted to our communication tools, devices, and channels?
4. How has the situation affected our quality of life and the number of hours we inevitably work weekly?
Please share your experiences. Are we stopping to "smell the roses," or are we too wrapped up in the next big thing?