I don’t know about you, but I hate those people who say stuff like, “Oh, I don’t own a TV. It’s a waste of time.” Or, “I don’t see any reason to have a cell phone.” Or, most damning of all, “I don’t really need a computer.” It’s okay to use them less – we’ve discussed that. And I’m not saying this because I might be biased. But to discount an entire form of widely used technology will only doom you to failure and obsolescence.
With shared cultural experiences going on the decline, it becomes harder and harder to relate to others, much less communicate with them. By keeping yourself voluntarily blind from books, newspapers, radio, TV and other forms of media, you’re removing yourself from the world. And you also lose proficiency.
The more time you spend with something, the more adept you become, and the more receptive you are to new advancements and trends. The seemingly wider gap between recent generations can be attributed to the development and prevalence of technology among young people, many of whom first learned to use a computer in elementary school (whereas previous generations were not familiar with the skill set involved, save for maybe typing). This technological symbiosis between computers and Generations X and Y has led to a communications barrier with many of their older co-workers, save for those who took it upon themselves to keep up.
If you ignore the TV, you miss out on water cooler chats with co-workers that can strengthen your professional reputation and relationships. If you skip out on the movies, you lose common reference points with clients. If you abhor a cell phone, people might stop trying to contact you. And if you keep away from the Internet, you’ll lose the race before it has even started. So go out into the world, experience everything through a variety of media, and don’t count out any of it. You’ll only be shooting yourself in the foot.
