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Being "connected" sucks. It is highly overrated and getting old fast.
I am tired of people using their BlackBerries in meetings. I am really tired of getting useless social networking updates on people I barely know ("Bob is playing with his dog."). Most of all, I am tired of this self-righteous, misguided notion that wearing a Bluetooth hands-free dongle in your ear somehow makes you important.
I don't care about Bob, or his dog. I also don't care about the boring conversations of Bluetooth-wearing loud talkers. Collectively, we need to get rid of technology as fashion accessory and demand a little peace and quiet.
We have become an ADHD nation. The constant fragmentation of our already short attention span is a really dangerous trend. Not only does it reduce the quality of meetings and conversations, it also creates serious challenges for marketers.
In a brilliant article in Forbes titled "Can You Hear Me Now?" Sherry Turkle of MIT compellingly argued that this new era of hyper-connectedness is just a façade. While we have increasingly more means of instant communication, we are building less meaningful relationships.
We have become a nation that is a mile wide and an inch deep. We use social networking to get updates on people without having to take the time to actually talk to them. We send text messages in place of conversations. Worse, we are often already in a conversation when we send them. And don't get me started on Twitter.
If our society continues to divide its attention into ever-smaller chunks, the marketing industry is in for a rude awakening.
It is not hard to imagine that 10 years from now, all video will be delivered over the Web. Most magazines and newspapers will as well. Consumers will sit behind a fat broadband pipe getting email, instant messages, social networking updates, and text messages while simultaneously consuming Web sites or video. Good luck getting their attention.
While this trend may be impossible to reverse, the solution for marketers is to steer into the skid. Marketing that appears next to content will get ignored. Marketing is going to have to become deeply integrated into the communication platforms.
Most publishers are woefully unprepared for this change. The majority of content Web sites today lack even a basic Application Programming Interface (API) that would allow an advertiser to integrate simple widgets. It is critical that publishers expose APIs to enable advertisers to modify your user interface (within set limitations, obviously), and create widgets or full interactive applications that can run on your Web sites.
Deep integrations will enable publishers and advertisers to work more closely together than they have in the past to capture unprecedented consumer attention -- and, more importantly, unprecedented revenue.
Instead of Fandango paying for TV commercials that consumers skip past with their DVR, they could integrate a widget into movie content sites that enables users to get notifications of upcoming movies, buy tickets, and invite their friends. They could be part of the conversation, not stuck in the corner drinking punch and watching everyone else dance.
Why would anyone pay to reach 100% of consumers watching a TV show, when only a small percentage is paying attention? Advertisers that use traditional advertising are increasingly throwing money away.
The attention span problem is already visible in younger generations, who were raised with broadband and multitasking as the norm. It has gotten so bad that college admissions officers are receiving admission application essays with text messaging abbreviations ('I g2g 2 Harvard, I'd do gr8!').
As I become more conscious of my own technology-driven ADHD, I have started to seek changes. Five years ago, I developed an idea I called "real time." Consciously spending a block of time just focused on the moment. Every year since, I have taken a vacation in a location that had no cell phone reception, no Internet access, and often, no running water.
In a few days I am leaving for two weeks in Kenya and Tanzania to climb the Lemosho Route up Mt. Kilimanjaro and then go on safari in the Ngorongoro Crater. I won't have a laptop, cell phone, or Internet access, but I guarantee I will have a lot of meaningful conversations.
Are you tired of always being connected? Let me know in the comments section below.
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Great point. Our business so frequently forgets how much of the population is NOT in Manhattan or Silicon Valley.
A lot of our bad habits, bad assumptions, and bad product decisions are a reflection with how out of touch we often are.
That other side is a huge portion, if not a majority, of the population right here in the good old USA. They will not only never read this article, they will never even come close to experiencing the issues being described. We're all caught up in the connection thing and in so doing many of us seem to think that those we are connected with make up the entire universe. NOT TRUE. Seething hordes of people are simply unaware, uninterested, or have no need for this connectivity.
It's kind of like thinking that just because NYC is a huge city with a large population therefore it is the only place where people live.
Plainly stated - there is a huge and thriving part of our world, including right here in the US, that is still very much existing in an old school, old fashioned lifestyle. We have gotten so cocooned, whether due to connectivity or job focus, that I think we are all losing site of everything else going on around us. Sometimes connectivity makes the world smaller in a bad way.
http://brighton.ncsa.uiuc.edu/prajlich/forster.html
Even in 1909 Forster knew that a society that depended on technology for it's existence was not a substitute for life. I definitely need to read the book again.
It's surprising how many people make the assumption that technology is always helpful, and that more connected = better.
This turned into a fascinating debate, and I really appreciate everyone participating.
My plane to Africa leaves this afternoon, but I can't wait to continue the conversation when I get back!
David.
Safe travels.
I've been saying similar things for years, so thank you
I call my wife's iPhone her Boyfriend - though she's getting much better about using it less. I think I had to show her the error of her ways, and what the COST is to her sanity, mental bandwidth, and relationships. Because she values those things, she's cut down her usage. However, I'm certain she's the exception to the rule
I'm still waiting for the day Verizon/T-Mobile/et al starts advertising how clear the volume is, and how to add Proper Cellphone Ettiquite / "Shhhhh!" into everyone's lives, because the equipment/network is able to handle even the quietist conversations...I dunno if I should hold my breath, tho
Although I'm also guilty of it on occassion, having 'immediate access gratification' of unified messaging and tools for it (iphone, HTC, RIM, etc), is what may harm our nation and our world. No, I'm not saying that content or equipment manufacturers are 'to blame', I think that 'advised usage' may just be a polite way to show current and potential customers how much you care about them, and why the products should be integrated into their lives - That is, just like the iphone has an 'airplane mode', there may be a benefit to offering a "work/home mode" where a consumer has a time-based, or location-based scheduled setting...'pre-8am, no email notification or inbound calls from certain pre-set telephone numbers', 'post 9pm no email notification, etc...'
Just an idea.
Also, as a semi-rude new yorker, I have no problem whatsoever to express my dissatisfaction to my real-time companions, who may be answering calls, checking emails, etc. If they are not aware of the impact it has on their company, how can they know to curb it? I am always happy to explain why I will cover their blackberry with my dinner napkin....
Now, as a marketer, you're correct, this brings a unique and added challenge. But it's marketing, who doesn't love a little bit of a challenge? ;)
Mini-rant over, I'm sure that procrastinating isn't gonna get me to the bike path any faster!
Thanks for the read
As much is being gained via the connectivity and electronics we have today, I fear much is being lost too.
As much as I love to learn something new, I relish the days of fruitful conversation that did not require keystrokes.
Arguing that it is a personal problem may be true, but when it becomes commonplace, the rest of society has to be on the receiving end of it.
As Albert Einstein so presciently said, "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity."
I couldn't agree more.
David.
While I can appreciate the frustration of sitting at a dinner table while others hold cell phone conversations, or the oddity of having a piece of technology semi-permanently attached to the side of one's head, I realize that I can not change those people. I can, however, make sure I don't become one.
I may steal that surgical line :)
I also spend 350+ days a year in reality, so a once in a lifetime trip to Tanzania is not enough real time to keep me sane.
I am hoping to get better at real time, without needing a trip across the globe, but it's a work in progress at best.
David.
I totally agree with you in concept. I think we are all still learning here, or at least I am, about what the right balance is.
That said, being a technology CEO means that people expect to be able to connect with you at all hours, so resetting those expectations takes some work.
I wish I could say I have cracked the code on how to take myself off the grid without backlash, but I'm still a work in progress.
David.
But I think it's also made Joe in Cincinnati far more aware of Bob in Bali--even if they only talk to one another when they're bored in board meetings (i.e. not present in the moment).
Yes, a mile wide and an in deep isn't the most thoughtful view of the world. But it could be the start of something sustainable--it doesn't turn out to be hyper-interactive, like you suggest.
1) "Good luck getting their attention." Marketers are going to have to quit relying on "interruption marketing" which is beconing increasingly easy for consumers to avoid (iPods, Tivos, satellite radio etc.) and instead do the hard work of actually saying something interesting. Consumers are still willing to give you their attention if you earn it, but you have to make the message worth their time.
2) For the 99.99% of us who can't afford the $$ or time to jet off to Tanzania, might I suggest gardening, going to your kids' sporting events, or taking a long walk with the dog. All good substitutes for over-connectedness.
3) Every time I see someone with a Bluetooth dongle in their ear I have to fight the urge to walk up and say "You know, they can fix that now surgically."
Tom Pick tompick.com
Thanks a lot. I try to write from the heart (even if in this case it does get occasionally perceived as negative).
I would be happy to contribute a story when I get back.
David.
Granted, I am very happy that my son will have a cellphone when he leaves for a 10-day road trip with two friends to California thius Sunday. That said, however, I'm aggravated whenever my cellphone rings. The first words out of my mouth (if I'm alone) are, "Leave me ALONE!"
The other day my husband called on my cell and I couldn't answer it in time. His message was, "You know, if you're going to carry a cellphone, I should be able to get hold of you when I need to." That pretty much sums up how we seems to think about one another: that I ought to be able to reach you anytime I want (not necessarily need) to, regardless of what else is occupying your day.
I used to feel obligated to leave my phone on 24/7; I don't anymore. And don't even try to text me!
Adapt or die?
That's dramatic. Not every technology makes your life better, or requires adaptation. Most people can maintain meaningful relationships without using Twitter or other tech fads.
My post was merely intended to cause people to think about something that we deal with every day, but largely gets ignored.
Judging by the amount of replies, I think a lot of people feel the same way.
David.
Last week I rode Amtrak from Boston to NYC; there were 4 conversations going on around me in Business Class and no one said a word. We've become so inured to loudmouths and their stupidity and bad manners that we don't even object any more. Maybe it's just easier to ignore them than to shut them up, or shut off their Tweets.
That said, I'm always glad to come home to Vermont where my mobile phone works sporadically and I can, indeed, shut everything off. It's great sitting outside with a glass of wine listening to the birds rather than some bozo who's full of himself.
Life reformatted for the small screen is a small one at that. Turning off our devices, is called getting "a real life."
Surely your 'real time' concept is common enough? Sailing a dinghy, playing a soccer match, Yoga?
I think we are all still beginners with technology and sometimes its slave but you'll notice that people who have had blackberrys get better at switching them off. Technology brings benefits and drawbacks - it is rarely universally good.
However, I would submit that the social media has it's place and can be constructive. You may not care that "Bob's playing with his dog" right here and now. But if Bob comes into your professional circle of influence, it could be helpful to know down the line that he's a dog lover. So when you come into contact with Bob, you've now got a point of reference where you can try to connect.
But overall I agree with the sentiment that we're overly connected and that employing the latest greatest toys doesn't automatically grant some one status.
@Timothy Locklear. Your hypothetical corporate VP who needs twitter should be stripped of her title and sent back to the cube farm. If she can't build a team that can't get their jobs done without having her over their shoulder, then she's not doing her job. As a former F500 SVP, I had no problems with vacations or travel because my leaders knew how to lead.
I have never given out my cell number for business. You want to talk to me -- office hours only and the number is on my site. I don't IM, don't have a Blackberry, and only carry my cell phone with me for emergencies. When I walk out of my office -- I'm done until the next morning -- period.
I moved off the grid almost three years ago out into the middle of nowhere where satellite was the only connectivity and earlier this year finally got DSL! I made the choice to try and recapture a quality of life that was not rush-rush-rush, traffic jams and crabby people who insist on being connected 24/7 -- and have never looked back.
Technology is all about choices. You don't have to be available or connected 24/7 to be "someone."
Yes, a family anecdote, but I think those of us in the marketing and creative fields understand and do seek out that kind of time to unplug so we can recharge and rethink and reconnect.
And I agree – as much as being well connected is a blessing, it is also a demise. There are times you feel “hunted� and definitely obligated to respond immediately – even if there is no deadline and it’s not life threatening. The other day a colleague left a voice mail and then proceeded to call my cell, email and text me all with the same non-urgent message. He knows I always respond, but it’s that “I gotta have an answer now� mode that has gripped us all.
I also agree that as marketing professionals, we need integration mixed with the right amount of patience and time. We all know it takes time to build your message and brand in the minds of consumers. One hit wonders are just that – and in the ADHD pace of today’s communications – they’re gone even faster.
I guess Leary’s “turn on, tune in, drop out� is taking on a new generation of meaning.
Thanks for your insights!
Pamela J. Principe-Golgolab PNA Associates Inc. pnaassociates@embarqmail.com
I don't disagree with your assertions on integration. In addition to many sites not offering APIs, it's astounding how many still don't even have RSS feeds. These are valuable tools that sites could easily implement in order to raise advertiser ROI, and their own ad rates in turn.
The days of banner ads and content sponsorship are over. In addition to simply ignoring them, today many consumers are opting to download tools that block them all together. Things have got to change.
I do disagree with your view on social networking, though. I believe you portray this as a societal problem as opposed to an individual one, and I feel that is very shallow and misleading.
I personally am a HUGE fan of Twitter and Facebook.
Twitter can be annoying (and seemingly useless) if used for the wrong purposes, but it is also an invaluable productivity tool. Look at any corporate V.P. – let's say we have one that's over 6 department directors. She's away on conference and wants to let her staff know she has arrived in at her destination. Instead of making 6 lengthy phone calls or sending 6 texts, she sends one text to Twitter that automatically informs her entire staff... saving her a half hour of chit-chatting while she's trying to get settled in.
(I am also curious if you know that when Bob is annoying you on Twitter, you can turn off text notifications from him only while keeping everyone else on)
Facebook... much the same story, except it also has a few expanded legitimate uses for collaboration and meaningful networking. MySpace and LinkedIn are about useless, in my opinion... so we may or may not agree on those.
USAGE is the key here... for what reason are you using social networking? Are you truly USING social networks for productivity, or are you signing up for Twitter and Facebook just because your friends are... and updating them every time you go pee?
There's a lot of individual misuse with social networking, and new technology in general. When a college kid updates a single friend through his Facebook wall instead of calling him, that's misuse. When a 16-year-old kid buys an iPhone just because he thinks it's cool, that's misuse. When you're wearing your Bluetooth in the office when CLEARLY you have the freedom of movement to use your handset, that's misuse.
However, when I am away at a conference... checking for an important e-mail on my Palm Centro when I'm not around a PC, sending a "Tweet" to avoid getting into 6 different conversations, using my Bluetooth while I'm walking through the airport carrying two bags and a cup of coffee, or uploading photos to Facebook for multiple people to see easily... that's PRODUCTIVITY!
The responsibility should go to individuals who misuse social networking and technology, not society... and not the developers. In the end, though, these things are just the latest rage. In a few years, the novelty will wear off of these things and the illegitimate users will drop... leaving the things to be used for what they were intended - productivity (I hope)
The bigger question is what organization has the power to help prevent this dangerous disconnected connectedness trend? It's like Turkle says in her article, "What kind of people are we becoming..? I think the digital revolution is becoming a digital evolution that can be stopped no easier than stopping the lungfish from evolving to a tadpole, becoming a frog. I just hope we future frogs are aware of each other and not stuck in a world similar to "The Matrix."
Re 'connected' : maybe it's a generation thing - but your sentiments mirror my arguments about phone-based Internet access having limited success. Come on folks, if you can't do without the web between home/work/home then you need to take a step back and have a serious word with yourself.
Re 'real time' : I try to read a book for at least an hour a day. And no, I don't mean work/profession-related stuff - a good thriller normally does the 'real life' trick for me.
So in the end, I ask, David, why are you bothering? You sound like the old guy yelling at kids to get off his lawn. Adapt or die. I'd happily take your spot writing for MediaPost.
http://www.theinteractivemarketer.com