Email: Friend or Foe

To be honest, I really couldn’t imagine what life would be like without email. The sad truth is that we depend on computers and communication tools like email and Facebook more than one-on-one interaction. It should just be a matter of time before the first Email Addicts Anonymous group session starts up.

I first realized that I had a problem when I was on a late Fall camping trip during first year. The first morning when I woke up, I wanted to check my email as per my usual routine. I found myself stressed and wondering “what if someone sent me something important.” My only consolation was that, as always, I had my cell, so if someone definitely, absolutely, really needed me, they could call. No-one did.

I started to think about how much time I actually wasted on email every day. I would check it in the morning before heading off to class, every time I went to the library the first thing I had to do after grabbing a coffee and before studying was check my email. And of course, after dinner and before bed. This seems ridiculous, but there always seemed to be a couple new messages from a classmate, family, or my club co-execs. Worse: those wonderful emails you get from Facebook every time someone posts something on your wall, tags you in a picture, or when you’re third cousin once removed breaks up with their partner who they’ve been seeing for 3 weeks.

I finally realized that the balance of the Universe would not be overly disrupted if I didn’t know 24-7 what was going on in my virtual world of communications. I changed my Facebook settings to stop the emails (best choice of my life!) and started to check my email inbox twice per day. Not only did it save me time, but it was a lot less stressful. I wondered less about whether someone had sent me an email, was staring at a computer screen way less (which actually makes sleeping easier and helps with headaches if you get them), and had more time to actually talk to people…face-to-face. Go figure.

Email and facebook really are things that you have to control. It is way too easy to become obsessed. If the first thing you want to do every morning is check your email or your Facebook, you have the problem too. Look out for the Email Addicts Anonymous near you!