Thanks for all the comments, everyone. I’m busy preparing for a holiday and then will be on holiday (obviously…) so don’t quite have time to respond to everyone, but keep the discussion going and I’m hoping to collate things into a summary document elsewhere when I get back.
Yes, the question of how we define “need” is absolutely a key point here, and I guess I deliberately left it open to interpretation as I think it’s subjective, but also that how we define it can change as we think about it and question it too.
The online/offline benefits always irks me - I mean I get the economics behind pushing people to be more “convenient” (on behalf of the company, usually) but it avoids the entire conversation about digital exclusion and accessibility. Strangely, I often see parking rates cost more when you use the app, as you get charged for paying with their card service. Ho hum.
Yeah that was kind of a “strange” limbo time - I remember going traveling and having to find internet cafes or hotel computers to use to send messages back home. Feels like ripe material and a lens for thinking about these things again…
Great to have you here - as I say, everyone will be different, but the key bit is to think about yourself and what you want to do differently. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks - I think acknowledging burnout, multitasking, even “productivity” as a potential anti-pattern is definitely one of the first, most important steps. It feels like we’re looked down upon for wanting to do less, or for taking a break. Who knows, maybe there’s some sanity left in the world and things will change bit-by-bit :)
Always nice when people actually explain cryptics - I think too many people still see it as a bit of a “Well I’m cleverer than thee” thing, when there’s actually a fair bit of structure and looking-stuff-up to it really. (A bit like coding, I guess…)