Legal Research

A Counter-Swing?

By David Bilinsky

? Let the pendulum swing.
Let the old guard surrender
It is a new day, a new world…?

Lyrics and music by Steve Wood and Julia Loggins, recorded by Kenny Loggins.

The ABA Journal on Aug 23, 2010 released an article entitled: A Law Prof Explains Why He is a Cell Phone Luddite.

The article starts with this statement:

Some high-profile professionals are ditching their cell phones, giving them more power over their time and eliminating distractions that interrupt their work and their relationships.

Having experienced a period of time this summer effectively ‘off the grid’ where I was outside the range of any cell, Blackberry or internet signals, this article caught my attention.  I have to say that I discovered my steel 6 string anew.  Felt great!

It seems that Law Professor Afsheen John Radsan is not alone in ‘unplugging’.  Warren Buffett and others are discovering life without a cell phone.  Other professors are banning laptops from classes.  Certainly most of us have experienced the annoyance of people reading emails on their iPhones or Blackberries in the midst of meetings when they should be concentrating on the matters at hand.  Could it be that the pendulum is now swinging back the other way?  Or is this just another example of the ‘digital divide’ between the generations – the old guard surrendering and giving up on their devices rather than trying to live in an increasingly-digital world?  And can it really be done? While Warren Buffett may not carry a cell-phone, I would imagine that someone in his entourage is carrying one, should he have the urge to check on his investments.

Indeed it is one thing to ‘unplug’ and relax for a couple of weeks, but is it really practical today to become a luddite?  Can you reclaim your life and re-focus on your priorities this way? Or is this just another example of the old guard surrendering to the fact that this is a new day, a new world – one increasingly filled by people to whom technology is not a tool – it is a way of life?

Full post as published by Slaw.ca on August 25, 2010 (boomark / email).