The Next Big Distraction? "The Internet of Things"

I've been in this technology industry longer than I would like to admit. Let's just say that I sold AT&TStarLAN back when it was talked about as the next leap forward from ARCNET. I have been blessed to have worked with industry giants who have shaped the ground that we all walk on. And as I think about the inventions that have had the most profound impact on us humans, high tech is in the top 10 of all time, right there with the wheel, electricity, combustion engine, telegraph, telephone, radio and television. I still find it nothing short of magical that we can hit “send” on our computer keyboard and instantaneously someone five thousand miles away gets a message. Or that we can hit a series of digits on our mobile phones and call someone and talk to them or see their image broadcasted in full motion video. Wow! We live in truly magical times.

My mother-in-law is a technology skeptic. Rightly so. She sees a generation of children and grandchildren obsessed with these hand held rectangular devices, distracting our presence, commanding our attention and infringing on our time together. I will say to you all what I say to my Mother-in-law. I think technology has brought us closer together as a species than ever before. Facebook has made it easier to connect with long lost friends and to keep them in your life in a manageable and meaningful way. Twitter has given a voice to an oppressed public in many countries that otherwise would not have had the wherewithal to rise up and bring the forces of change to oppressive regimes. Bloggers have given us more journalistic creativity than at anytime in the pre-technology past unencumbered by publishers and editors that wouldn't allow much of it to see the light of day.

So, here we are on the verge of 2015 and the Internet of Things is promising to bring another 50 billion more distractions into our lives. I think we are at a crossroads of sorts where technology is concerned. We need to decide if we are going to allow technology to consume us, or are we going to consume it for our own betterment. It is within our power as users of technology to put it to good use because in the end none of us will wish we had one more hour to spend with our gadgets.

So on this New Years Eve, I am eager to discover the new inventions that will undoubtably enter our lives in 2015. But I am also hoping that we as the governors of our own technology usage become more aware of the distraction creep and take time to be with those who truly matter in our lives.

Happy New Year!