Original article from the Flevy business blog can be found here: http://flevy.com/blog/tethered-to-technology/ Note from the Editor: This article was originally published in the Reading Eagle’s Business Weekly and is re-posted with their permission. It was contributed by Dr. Santo D. Marabella, The Practical Prof(R). * * * * Today, The Practical Prof makes a stunning revelation: I suffer from a serious syndrome known as TTT – Tethered To Technology. Here’s how I know. I currently manage: 9 social media accounts including Twitter, LinkedIn, and multiple Facebook pages or groups; 7 different email accounts – 6 of which are business, and one for community and personal activities; 4 different websites; two laptops, a desktop computer, an iPad, a smartphone and a landline phone with four extensions. Ridiculous? Yes. Alone? Nope. Sadly, there are many who suffer with me. Let’s look at some consumer data from Civic Science based on about 9000 responses: • 64% use a smartphone • 43% own a tablet computer • 28% own an e-reader • 52% watch 2 or more hours of TV per day, not so surprising perhaps, but nearly half of those people are multi-tasking with a second screen device – checking email, playing games, sending texts Plus, the same study reports that 60% of people with technology never (43%) or seldom (a few times per year) (17%) disconnect from their technology. While there seems to be no demographic pattern to who unplugs, children 13-18 and people over 55 are the most likely to disconnect daily. But, isn’t technology making our lives easier, making communication faster, and the quality of communication better? Perhaps. But, I worry that in a time when we have never had more ways to communicate, we have never been less communicative. Here are some of the drawbacks I see to being tethered to technology.

1. Tethered to Technology
Contributed by Dr. Santo D. Marabella on March 16, 2015 in General
Note from the Editor: This article was
originally published in the Reading Eagle’s
Business Weekly and is re-posted with their
permission. It was contributed by Dr. Santo D.
Marabella, The Practical Prof(R).
* * * *
Today, The Practical Prof makes a stunning
revelation: I suffer from a serious syndrome
known as TTT – Tethered To Technology.
Here’s how I know. I currently manage: 9 social
media accounts including Twitter, LinkedIn, and multiple Facebook pages or groups; 7

2. different email accounts – 6 of which are business, and one for community and personal
activities; 4 different websites; two laptops, a desktop computer, an iPad, a smartphone and
a landline phone with four extensions.
Ridiculous? Yes. Alone? Nope. Sadly, there are many who suffer with me. Let’s look at some
consumer data from Civic Science based on about 9000 responses:
 64% use a smartphone
 43% own a tablet computer
 28% own an e-reader
 52% watch 2 or more hours of TV per day, not so surprising perhaps, but nearly half
of those people are multi-tasking with a second screen device – checking email,
playing games, sending texts
Plus, the same study reports that 60% of people with technology never (43%) or seldom (a
few times per year) (17%) disconnect from their technology. While there seems to be no
demographic pattern to who unplugs, children 13-18 and people over 55 are the most likely
to disconnect daily.
But, isn’t technology making our lives easier, making communication faster, and the quality
of communication better? Perhaps. But, I worry that in a time when we have never had

3. more ways to communicate, we have never been less communicative. Here are some of the
drawbacks I see to being tethered to technology.
First, because we use technology doesn’t mean we’re good at it. Millennials – those born
between 1980 and 2000 – are very experienced in digital communications. However, a well-
researched and documented 2014 Fortune article by Hootsuite founder and CEO, Ryan
Holmes indicates this generation could benefit from honing up on these social media skills:
self-censoring their content and comments: wasting less time, instead of saving time;
knowing what data to collect; adeptly integrating networks; and, actually using the media to
network professionally.
Second, an “addiction” to technology can be detrimental to our psyche. For example, a 2007
Psychology Today article by Carlin Flora claims that the “ubiquity of cellphones” and the
instance access it creates between people may actually make us less independent and able to
rely on our inner resources, while becoming not only more dependent on others but on the
devices themselves. The article suggests that we first consider the issue, problem, etc. on our
own first, then, reaching out to a trusted person for advice strengthens our self-reliance,
rather than substituting for it.

4. Third, is narcissism. A provocative 2013 article by Alexis Brooks, on
ConsciousLifeNews.com, suggests social media might be a breeding ground for narcissism,
given one’s ability to self-promote and become self-absorbed on platforms like Facebook.
Interesting way to see it – after all, we are the “stars” of our various social media profiles.
Additionally, Brooks encourages us to find our “inner technology”, the one where our Inner
Sensory Perception, not Internet Service Provider, is the source of our reliance.
All things considered, when we are tethered to technology as I have been, I don’t think our
communication quality is much better, unless we do the work to ensure its quality. If it
were, we would listen more carefully, meet and talk face-to-face more frequently and
empathize and understand more fully in the communications we have. While technology
can help as a tool, it is the means, not the end.
Can we fight the technology trend? A 2010 ABC News report offers hope. They found that
when parents provide even minimal guidelines, it has a real impact on their kid’s media
consumption. It drops by nearly three hours a day – from 10.5 to 7.5. If this works for kids,
certainly, mature, self-disciplined adults should have no problem, right?

5. By the way, if less dependency on technology is worrisome because you’re concerned that
this reduction will negatively impact your business’ sales, here’s a point to ponder.
Millennials (18-33 year olds) are a tech savvy communicative generation. The internet is
their number one catalyst for sparking their interest in a particular manufacturer’s brand,
for example, and leads to conversations about brands which account for 689 million word of
mouth (WOM) impressions per day. Interestingly, 84% of these impressions are as a result
of mostly face-to-face offline conversations, according to the latest research from the Keller
Fay Group.
We can re-establish and strengthen good ole fashion face-to-face quality communication.
Here are some ways to consider in un-tethering yourself from technology:
Disconnect Regularly
Establish a regular time, however brief, when you are away from or turn off technology. My
time is when I take Rafaelle for a walk. It’s un-nerving at first, but then being in the
moment with my pooch is comfortable. If you can’t do it on your own, consider Digital
Detox Camp. Yes, that’s right, there really is such a place (in Northern California,
surprisingly) where you can go to as they say, “disconnect to reconnect.” That CivicScience

6. study also indicated that those who disconnect report higher happiness, less trouble
sleeping and tend to exercise more.
Don’t Hide Behind Technology
Don’t hide behind technology when you really should talk, meet or listen in person. You
know those times – when you want to send an email to a co-worker because you fear their
reaction to the message you must communicate; when you want to ignore or dismiss
another’s concern or input; when you don’t want to take the time to explain or understand;
and, when you think a virtual “good job” is enough acknowledgement because it’s not you
on the receiving end.
Be a Role-Model
Millennials are our future. Be the role model they need to learn how to respect and
perpetuate quality communication. Show our emerging managers and leaders the benefits
of investing the time and energy in communication that is person-centered and technology-
assisted.

7. I hope this lesson provided an opportunity to reflect and assess your own vulnerability to
TTT. We can beat it – together, face-to-face!
About Dr. Santo D. Marabella
Dr. Santo D. Marabella, The Practical Prof, is a professor of management at Moravian College and
president of Marabella Entertainment & Education Enterprises LLC. His book, “The Practical Prof: Simple
Lessons for Anyone Who Works!” is a collection of his Business Weekly columns. Contact him at
Santo@ThePracticalProf.com .

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