With the advent of every new communications technology, the geographical and metaphysical space of the workplace is redefined. First came the telegraph, then the telephone, the cordless phone, the computer, the cellular phone, the laptop, the ipod, the iphone, and now.. the ipad. With everynew invention, another flap of Pandora’s box is opened, and humanity’s propensity toward greed, self-absorption, hedonism, and laziness is revealed evermore. The office is no longer a permanent physical space but a temporary intellectual zone, defined by the placement of gadgets on a lap, or a table, merged with the action of plugging in, logging in, and clocking some serious brainpower hours. In the past 30 years or so, there has been a tremendous shift from working at the office to working from ‘office’. Why spend 45 minutes each direction commuting to a cubicle when you can work in your jammies from the comfort of your own home? As each new invention shrinks in size and ups the ante with increased capabilities for wireless communication, what is happening to the number of people working from home and other non-designated office spaces? Does it continue to grow, or will it–has it already–tapered off?
According to Statistics Canada, the maximum growth period peaked out during the 1980′s and 1990′s and the figures have been holding relatively steady ever since. 5 years ago a mere 10% of Canadians polled positively as working from home. But does this number include those who work at other random locations like in cafes, on airplanes, hotel rooms, and parks? It seems like everywhere I go, I am confronted with that little glowing apple (signifying an Apple Laptop of some variety), or the sleek shape of an iphone emerging from a pocket. And soon, inevitably, there will be more and more sightings of the shiny smooth sleek little ipad. A simple device, yet clever enough to meet most day-to-day word-processing, e-mail and time-killing needs, the ipad has widespread appeal as a contraption that can be used for either work or pleasure. The ipad could easily replace the clunky old front desk computer at many offices. A receptionist’s job, after all, is to answer phones and keep up-to-date with correspondence, not to be an expert at every new complex type of software that comes out. With its sleek portable design it could be used at airport check-in desks–once they make an app that will manage those types of transactions. I could also see it at the beach, in the park, or on the starboard of a yacht at sea sailing into the sunset. Anywhere with internet connectivity, cell phone reception, or satellite capabilities is fair game to become a temporary mobile office or digital pleasure zone.
As tantalizing as this all sounds, however, there are dangers that run rampant with mixing work, pleasure, and technology in such extreme unregulated conditions. When do you draw the line and power off the plethora of devices that continually bleep, bloink, and vibrate to remind you of the responsibilities you are trying to escape from? What is the proper etiquette when confronted with the dreaded vibration of a mobile device in your pocket during a romantic dinner or steamy makeout session? When do you hit your own mental ‘ignore’ button and when do you choose to engage and acknowledge?
With the boundaries between home and office, work and pleasure being blurred evermore by these new technologies, the answers to these questions are neither simple nor easy. But one thing is for certain: the ipad is destined to take over more than one household with its clever mix of aesthetic, tactile charm, portability and multi-purpose functionality. I might just go to the Apple store and take a few moments this afternoon to caress its smooth screen, dreaming my materialistic ultramodern dreams…
(Montreal/Productivity)