Technology as a catalyst for joy
Have you ever taken a step back to really think about your relationship with technology? To ask yourself what you love and hate about the technology you use on a daily basis? I’d like to think this has become a regular part of my reflection practice, but I’ve been guilty of falling into habits without thinking. We all do—after all, we’re human.
But something really magical happens in those moments where we reflect: we take some of the power back. Every single day, we have the opportunity to grab hold of the reins and make more time and more space for more joy to enter our lives.
I’ll be honest—I’ve long had a bit of a ‘love/hate’ relationship with technology. I recognize it’s powerful, but too often that power sucks me in and spits me back out again. One of the fundamental questions I’ve found myself grappling with is this: how can we learn to love technology? How can we repair our relationship with technology, and again see it as a force for good?
Acknowledging the dangers of our technology addiction
Last month, we dove deep into the concept of the Hook Model and the way designers at companies like Facebook and Twitter manipulate us, using our innate behaviour patterns to compel us to use their products every day. This addiction can lead to a whole host of troubling problems, including:
Lost sleep → a multitude of health effects (including memory problems, mood changes, and weakened immune systems)
Diluted relationships → disconnection leading to regret and therapy
Oppressive anxiety → medication and substance abuse
False sense of urgency → undue stress and adrenal fatigue
Toxic comparison → depression and thwarted creativity
The concept of the Hook Model, the key to our unhealthy technology addictions, thrives on our lack of awareness. The moment we recognize the power it holds over us is the moment we have the chance to step back, notice, and make a change to prioritize our own health and happiness. It’s for that reason that I love this quote from Albert Borgmann, philosopher of technology and author of Technology and the Character of the Contemporary Life:
My focus is less on setting limits than it is on creating the positive conditions in which technology becomes less compelling and different kinds of engagements thrive and flourish.”
– Albert Borgmann
In other words, the way out of digital overwhelm is not by heaping on more tasks and shame-inducing to-do lists; instead, the way out is to lean deeper into joy.
Technology is not inherently bad
It becomes easy for us to point fingers, to label technology as the source of all our troubles. When we’re feeling overwhelmed, the first thing we do is look for a “bad guy,” someone (or something) we can blame our problems on that’s outside of ourselves.
But labelling technology as an evil in our life is missing the point. Because the truth is, technology is a wonderful thing. It’s given us so much. It has so much potential, especially at a time like this where we’re limited in our physical interactions, to keep us connected to the people who matter most to us. All we need to do is learn to work with technology instead of fighting against it. We must bring more intention to our daily habits so we can leverage the power of technology, transforming it into a source of positivity in our lives.
Technology as a catalyst for joy
One of the individuals I’ve interviewed on the JOMOcast podcast is Dr. Pamela Pavliscak, emotional ethnographer and author of Emotionally Intelligent Design. She’s interviewed thousands of people about their relationship with technology and, she says, the difference between those who are happy with tech and those who aren’t is part mindset, part action. According to her, “people who are happy with technology do things differently.”
Ultimately, her philosophy boils down to two inherently related notions: attention and effort. We need to name our joys, and then put time into nurturing them, creating more space for joy in our everyday lives. She discovered that people who are happy, people who consider their relationship with technology to be a positive one, use technology to create, nurture, and maintain connections to their community and creativity.
How can you begin using technology in this way?
The key to unlocking technology as a source of positivity in your life is to imagine how you can use it to fuel your connections and creative life. The more community and creativity-focused habits you introduce, the better you’re bound to feel. Here are a few of my favourite ways I’ve leveraged technology to nurture connection and creativity:
Set birthday reminders for all of your friends and loved ones, then make it a point to send them a personalized message or voice memo on their special day. Share a particular memory you hold fondly of time the two of you spent together.
Put video calls with your friends and family, near and far, into your calendar so you both set aside the time to connect and catch up. If you’re feeling really bold, make the calendar events recurring.
Consider the channels you’re consuming each day. Do they inspire your own creative work? Push you towards a truer expression of yourself? Or do they leave you feeling stale. For me? Having weirder, wilder voices in my feed reminds me that there’s life outside the grid and I want to nurture more of it.
It’s important to remember that we’re all different. What fills my cup might not fill yours. What brings me joy might not lift your spirits. And that’s perfectly fine. What’s important is taking the time you need in order to figure it out for yourself.
How do you plan to welcome more joy into your life? How can technology become your friend and ally in this desire?
