Question

Identify how technology applications such as e-mail, the Internet, telecommunications, and social networking can both facilitate and hinder personal time management.

Answer 1

Answers:

Technology Can Improve Time Management :

Technology is great at managing your schedule without you having to waste time trawling through paper calendars, emails, or old text messages. Many applications work with each other to automatically add appointments to your reminders, giving you a truly hands-free solution.

It's no secret that technology can help keep workers on task and improve their time management skills -- just imagine the length of time it used to take to send a message to someone via postal service, versus the now-instant gratification of email. But as you attempt to uncover the importance of technology on time management, you must also examine ways to make sure the technology doesn't get in your way.

Challenges :

There's no doubt that the number of productivity and planning tools out there are many -- in fact there can be so many that the technology itself can get in the way of productivity. According to one study by the research firm Basex, the average attention span of workers is about three minutes, so the challenge here is to use the tools you have appropriately, and to be conscious of time-wasters disguised as time management tools. For example, if you're using Tweets or Instant Messages to send out notes to co-workers, don't get caught up in looking at the tweets or IM's of a bunch of people who don't have anything to do with the task at hand. Just use the tool for the work-related purpose.
Ways to Improve :
It's important to keep some things in mind to make your tools don't end up costing you even more time. First, unless you're a company that specializes in staying on the cutting edge of technology, don't be the first to test-drive a new technology tool. New programs -- sometimes called beta releases -- are often fraught with bugs that need to be worked out by the first set of users. Instead wait for a later release of that technology. Also develop a time management plan for you and other workers. Map out your days in the same way you map out your daily calendar; decide how much time you'll spend on email, Facebook and reading the news, and stick with those times. Also schedule a regular assessment of what's working and what's not; you don't want to keep a technology around if it's actually costing you more time.

Technology hinder personal time management :

Managing time, and remaining efficient, is a difficult balance precisely because of these technological advancements. The main issue with technology is that it can be completely and utterly distracting. It can zap precious minutes, or hours, from a day already jam-packed with events, meetings and deadlines.

Increasingly electronic world :

There’s no doubt that we live in an increasingly electronic world, but the latest numbers from the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project make it clear:
•   85% of Americans are online
•   55% of US adults go online wirelessly
•   Small screens outnumber big screens: Almost half of US adults own a smartphone
•   17% of US adult cell phone owners use their phones to look up health or medical information.

Statistics from the past year tell us that we are rapidly moving toward mobile devices. For example, the percentage of U.S. adults who own a smartphone increased to a greater extent than ever before, communicating electronically and on the go is how people connect.

Methods of communication are also changing. It was not that long ago that email was the sole form of electronic communication. While it is still the dominant method—91% of U.S. adults use email—shorter messaging is on the rise. In the US, 67% of adult cell phone owners use text messaging (also known as SMS, or short message system). Social networking (e.g., Facebook®, Google Plus®) is also garnering more attention, with 50% of U.S. adults using some type of social site. Furthermore, minority Internet users are significantly more likely than non-Hispanic whites to use social sites; watch videos; send or receive phone text messages; and send or receive email on their cell phones.

Conclusion:

Technology Should Be a Servant, Not a Master

The key when it comes to improving your time management skills through the use of technology is to stop getting distracted or overloaded. Don't be wired 24/7, stop checking Facebook every 5 minutes, and don't think that email can't wait a few hours. Instead, leverage the power of technology and have it working for you, instead of the other way around.