When will technology actually let us do what we want to. This is a problem that has been bothering me for a couple of years now. Lets take a trip back a few years. Technology was marketed to make our lives easier. It was said, technology would allow us to spend more time doing things we enjoyed.

How many people actually can say this? I cant, I am still bombarded with phone calls and email. Trying to figure out why my latest television program wont download, or why for some reason my internet connection wont work. If you really look at it how much time does the average person actually spend reading email, answering phone calls or working on a stubborn computer. It all adds up.

Here is an excerpt from the New York Times pertaining to internet use.

The study found that as much as 75 percent of the population in the United States now has access to the Internet either at home or work.

”It is remarkable that this expansion of use has happened in just a decade since the invention of the Web browser,” Mr. Nie said. That rate of growth is almost as fast as the spread of the telephone, and is impressive because the computer is more complicated to use, he said.

The study, titled ”What Do Americans Do on the Internet?” also found that junk e-mail and computer maintenance take up a significant amount of the time spent online each day.

Respondents reported spending 14 minutes daily dealing with computer problems. That would suggest that Internet users spend a total of 10 workdays each year dealing with such problems.

The study, the latest in an annual series, was based on a survey of 4,839 people between the ages of 18 and 64 who were randomly selected. Respondents were asked to create detailed diaries of how they spent their time during six randomly selected hours of the previous day. “”

You can find the original article here.

Technology is great thing don’t get me wrong, but where is the line drawn to say it has made my life easier so that I can spend more time at home with my daughter or my wife. I think technology is moving at a great pace but we still spend way to much time actually trying to embrace it, rather than use it to spend less time worrying about what my wife and I are going to do with our free time.

On the flip side, technology has made a difference. More people are working from home now. With remote access capabilities easier to use, and broadband in a lot of homes, this makes a big difference. More computer controlled appliances are coming out. Being able to schedule meals with a Range that cools your food all day, and at a scheduled time begins to cook your meal. That is pretty cool stuff.

When you look at everything, people in general have been able to pack their schedules with more and more, appointments, practices, meetings, school events and many other activities. Technology has made this possible. In the average family how much time do you spend trying to work out the kinks versus playing with your kids? Do you think technology has made your life easier or more complex? I would love to hear your opinion on this.