I'm writing from Virgin America Flight 7422 between San Francisco and Washington DC. There's nothing new about using a laptop to work from a plane. I've been doing that for more than 20 years but Virgin America now has WiFi Internet access on all its flights. That, plus an AC power outlet at each seat, is why I fly this airline.
But as I respond to email, chat online and do research for this and other columns, I'm reminded about a TV show -- Digital Nation -- which airs on PBS Tuesday night and is now available online.
The 90 minute program -- which I previewed over the weekend -- explores the impact of digital technology on our lives, including negative impacts such as Internet and gaming addiction. I'm not quite willing to admit to being an Internet addict, but family members have suggested that perhaps I spend too much time online. When I add up the time I spend at my desk, my use of a laptop when I'm away from home and all the times I use my smart phone to check email, send or read a text message or visit a website, I suppose there is some reason for concern. Now, thanks to Virgin America and GoGo Inflight (which provides Internet service for several airlines), I can stay connected even when I'm 35,000 feet above the ground.
Reachable in the air
No longer is the air the one respite from being reachable. As I type this column, I see messages popping up on my instant messaging program fighting for my attention. I've already answered several emails -- all of which could have waited till I touch down. I'm self-employed but if I had a boss, he or she could be pestering me even as I fly.
The Digital Nation TV show didn't touch on WiFi in the air but it did feature a segment about South Korea where Internet and gaming addiction have become a serious problem, especially for teenage boys and young men - many of whom frequent 24-hour Internet cafes (called PC Bongs) where it's not uncommon for people to suffer hunger, thirst, exhaustion and even death after hours of non-stop computer use. There are even "Internet rescue camps" set up by the Korean government to help cure Internet and gaming addicts. Stephen Balkam reviewed the program here on Huffington Post.
Entertainment immersion
I'm also reminded of a recent study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation that found that kids, on average, spend 7 hours and 38 minutes consuming "entertainment" on TVs, PCs, gaming consoles, MP3 players and cell phones. As I pointed out in my post about the study, some of that time is being spent communicating on Facebook and MySpace which can have some positive impact on kids but the study results were nevertheless troubling.
Of course, there are some positive aspects to our increase in net use. Digital Nation visited a middle school in the Bronx which saw a dramatic rise in test scores and a reduction in violence and absenteeism after kids were given laptops to use at school. The school's principal likened technology use to "oxygen," correctly pointing out that school makes "more sense to kids when we provide them with an opportunity to use technology." As my ConnectSafely.org co-director Anne Collier pointed out in her review of Digital Nation, there is an enormous benefit to schools adopting the very technology that kids are already using when away from school. If school's only response to social media is to ban it, than kids will never get the benefit of using technology in the context of a learning environment under the thoughtful direction of a teacher.
Still, I have to agree with Digital Nation's co-host Douglas Rushkoff, that there are times when we ought to disengage from technology. A couple of years ago as we planned a family vacation, my kids conspired to pick out a primitive resort about two hours from Cabo San Lucas that had no Internet or cell phone access. It was the only time in 20 years that I traveled without a laptop and my cell phone was useless. It took me four days to decompress but once I reached that point I realized that it's a lot easier to relax when you're not bombarded with media, information, emails and phone calls.
That was two years ago but here I am -- once again -- hunched over a laptop when I could be taking the captain's advice to "sit back and relax." Dare I say it, "I'm Larry and I'm a webaholic." Nah, I'm not addicted. I can stop any time and that's just what I plan to do, as soon as I post this column, read some blogs, catch up on the news, answer my email, make online dinner reservations for tonight and maybe watch a couple of YouTube videos.