This was an great chance to reflect on some of the tech I use day to day. For simplicity I consolidated my interactions with technology at RRU as a student and staff together under institutional and anything else under personal. I do have the pleasure of doing freelance contract work, but found adding those specific technologies cluttered the map too much.
My presence on the resident side to appeared be lighter than many as I don’t use some of the popular services that are “more visible and leave any kind of a trace” (White, 2013). Notably lacking for me would be Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook as I have found my use of them rapidly decreased to essentially zero over the past five years. This is likely a result of my active effort to reduce “screen time” which is always a challenge especially with the added dynamic from the covid-19 pandemic.
Web conferencing tools has shifted to be quite central within my map due to the covid-19 pandemic, as meetings, facilitation, troubleshooting and informal conversations have all ended up in one of the various web conferencing platforms. It is also quite common for these web conferencing interactions to be recorded and added to support ticket requests, knowledge base tutorials or sent to other teams to information share. Working online since March of 2020 has definitely resulted in a shift of many of my technologies more to the residents side when previously much of my interactions would have been in person/ over the phone and not as visible.
White, D. (2013, September 13). Just the Mapping. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSK1Iw1XtwQ
Hi Zac,
Thanks for sharing. I found your reference to digital well-being and the need to consciously reduce screen time to be an interesting element, particularly in our hyper-connected world. What piqued my interest is the decision-making framework that sits behind the map and adds another layer of complexity. For instance, while you might really enjoy being on Facebook and value it, you are making a deliberate decision to minimize your use of that platform because it is not necessarily supporting your well-being in relation to the current mix of tools you are already using. I tend to think future tech choices will involve more boundary setting, along with the need to constantly add/remove tools that are no longer serving both our functional and human needs.
Hi Lisa,
You are absolutely right I enjoy lots of these platforms/technologies, but there is a certain point in which our ability to adopt and actively use them requires less use of another platform. It’s very easy to be connected 24/7, but we likely don’t want that in the long term. You mentioned human needs which I think is an important insight to our technology use. I find myself sitting at my desk too much for work, school and entertainment (which was amplified with the COVID pandemic) and I’ve valued the ability to disconnect more than ever.
-Zac
In a world where tech adoption and engagement is such a focus, there is some irony to the attention being given to disconnection. In many ways, it seems like we are trying to figure out how to integrate tech into our lives while also extricate ourselves. It’s quite interesting.
– Lisa
I absolutely agree there is a degree of irony and need for balance. I think we have all had that tech overload feeling on days it’s hard to get away from our desks. The need to stretch out our mind and body can’t be forgotten!
-Zac
Hi Zac,
I really relate to your comment about minimizing your use of Facebook, Twitter, etc. in an effort to reduce screen time. With face-to-face interactions being discouraged/non-existent due to the COVID-19 pandemic though, have you managed to find a balance between screen and non-screen activities? Do you expect that you will continue to be more of a resident in some of the technologies you use to do your job, even if/when the reduced interactions of the pandemic are lifted?
– Amber
Hi Amber,
I’ve definitely struggled with balancing screen and non-screen time, especially through winter and fall, but with spring coming I am hoping to get out for more socially distanced activities. Little things like reading a paper book instead of my kindle has been helpful to feeling less like I am staring at a screen all the time. I do expect some technologies to “shift” more toward the visitor side in the future when in person interactions become more viable. Especially when we initially return in person, I believe most of us will be extra excited to be able to meet face to face. In contrast some of the practices such as supporting each other through our team Slack will likely persist as it’s been great resource that will useful beyond this pandemic.
-Zac
Hi Zac,
I agree with you that we are all day in front of a computer, doing all the interactions we used to in-person before online. At the same time, I have mixed feelings about going back to work in person 100%. I like the connections I have made through the use of technology. Being a resident in some areas I wasn’t before allowed me to get to know more people in my organization and work on projects I think I wouldn’t have had the chance before.
Would you like to go back to work in person 100%, or do you like the idea of working online from home some days?
Thank you for sharing,
-Anabella
Hi Anabella, You bring up a good point. As far as the business needs of our roles, most of us are able to do everything remotely. I think there will be an adjustment period and new balance of work from home for many as we begin to return. I personally was already working 1 day a week from home and upon our return think this may bump to 2 days a week. I too feel a level of uncertainty, but am leaning toward the positives of some personal presence will be worth the challenges it will bring. – Zac