In this age of gadgets and technology, it’s easy to waste hours in front of a computer looking at the endless pit of email, news and entertainment stuff that’s provided to us. The best way to get away from it used to be to go away on holiday where the little beach resort (fingers crossed) wouldn’t have web access, forcing us to live without email for some time. But no-thanks to phones getting smarter every year, that much deserved holiday sees email, SMS and the web sneak into our luggage.

We all treat holidays differently; Before departing on his summer break, Dr Jakob Nielsen, an IT usability expert, said: “I will be completely out of contact for two full weeks while I am in Africa. There is no internet on the Serengeti. There may be mobile phone access around the lodges, but probably not on the plains themselves.” Mr Nielsen says he has sworn off e-mail for a fortnight and thinks his staff can handle things without him. “In fact, any executive who thinks otherwise has really failed one of his or her most important duties.” (Financial Times)

I’m a mobile addict, there’s no denying it. I’ve been given the evil eye by my husband more than once for taking a peek at an incoming SMS or my Twitter feed when I should have been spending precious time with friends and family.

But here’s my secret: I absolutely love the forced break from it I get when we go on holiday away where you have to hang out the window of the highest bedroom to make a phone call. It takes a few days to slip into the right frame of mind where I realise it’s good and healthy to take a break, and that the world won’t stop spinning while I’m gone. That’s when bliss begins. No calls, no worries, just my feet in the sand and a cocktail in hand!

To each their own, however; other people prefer to stay in constant contact in order to have less to worry about when they return from holiday, reading email on their phone, finding a watering hole with wifi, or checking in to the office every couple of days.

What’s your take? Throw the phone in the back of the wardrobe until your return or stay on top of the office gossip daily?

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 at 3:36 pm and is filed under Community and social networks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.