Digital technology has transformed the way we work, study, play and live, and will continue to do so as it evolves over time.
However, not all of us share the same experience out of living the digital life. For some, the digital lifestyle has benefit them; for others, it has ill-served them.
In 2018, the Pew Research Centre compiled digital life experiences from technology experts and scholars that were both positive and negative, some of which you can find below.
You can read more of these experiences in ‘Stories From Experts About the Impact of Digital Life’ at https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2018/07/03/stories-from-experts-about-the-impact-of-digital-life/:
The Upside:
Family enrichment and enhancement: “My 90-year-old father was on Facebook for the sole purpose of connecting with kids and grandkids who were scattered across the country. Reading and commenting on their posts gave him the ability to participate in the process of their lives.” – Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Centre
Work creator, enabler and enhancer: “Living a digital life has made it possible to be self-sustaining financially. I spend a great deal of my day online, and being hyperconnected makes it possible to find all the things I need to have a decent quality of life.” – Dewayne Hendricks, CEO of Tetherless Access
Health and wellness aid: “Yes, we all still enjoy sharing those moments in our lives that give off the best appearance, but the stigma of sharing experiences of disease or pain or loss has lessened. More and more, we are encouraged by the actions or the postings of others to share our tougher experiences and to, if we so wish, build a community around those experiences.” – Avery Holton, associate professor of communication at The University of Utah
The Downside:
Alone together: “I look at my grandchildren busily playing some game and they are quiet and not ‘bothering’ anyone and I’m a bit afraid of how easy it is to let them just be.” – Lucretia Walker, quality-improvement associate for planning and evaluation social services
Distractions and addiction: “A friend of mine was rolling down the road in his favorite old truck, listening to FM radio, when another driver, hyperconnected to digital technology, set about the task of typing a text message, drifted across the center line of the road, and crashed head-on into my friend. The offending driver died at the scene. My friend suffered life-changing injuries, breaking his will and his bank account.” – Ebenezer Baldwin Bowles, an author, editor and journalist.
Never-ending work with new demands and expectations: A research scientist recounted: “Rather than reading a book or magazine on my commute, I do things like check Facebook and look at e-mails that I can’t easily respond to. Rather than arriving at work refreshed or arriving home with some space from work, it all comes with me.”
