  |
||||
      |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
(tech toys, cont.) Modern technology is not just changing the ways young professionals conduct their business, it’s changing their lives as well. “I think being as high-tech as we are puts such a demand on us,” says Josh Andrew, who does pharmaceutical testing at Covance in Madison. “We spend too much time on that, rather than relaxing and doing other things.” Today, young professionals receive e-mails and voicemails at all hours of the day and night, seven days a week; even when they are on vacation. “You are always reachable, which is sometimes a downfall too,” says Janine Anderson, who works at the Franklin Hub newspaper. “Caller ID is a wonderful thing.” Since young professionals are reachable 24/7, they are expected to be more productive, which often makes the workday longer. “We don’t have as much downtime as our grandparents did,” Andrew says. “I pretty much live at my computer.” This takes a toll on young professionals’ free time and communications with friends and family. “The only way you communicate with them half the time is through voicemail because everyone is working so hard,” Canter says. Young professionals are a busy group, and technology allows people to get the most out of their work and play time. Technology is always changing and improving and there are many resources to keep young professionals up-to-date about current technology. According to Heather Vick, the sales supervisor of digital imaging and wireless in the East Towne Madison Best Buy, the 20- to 30- year-old crowd usually knows what they want when they come into the store. They ask a few questions and then make their purchase. “Our primary goal is to educate the customer, not just sell them something,” Vick says. Young professionals keep themselves educated about current technology, but at the same time many claim that they are not tech savvy. “I don’t think of myself as a technological person,” Canter says. Dan Hinkel, a reporter for the Janesville Gazette, describes himself as not being technology-oriented. He recently received a new cell phone, after using his old outdated phone for a long time. “You had to turn a crank to get it to work,” he jokes. “Surrounded by technology all day long, sometimes you just need to escape,” Shedivy says. During what little leisure time they have, young professionals in Wisconsin often like to get away from technology and back to nature. “I try to stay low-tech outside of work,” says Andrew. “Most of my new toys lately have been fishing poles.” “However, a number of the guys still enjoy playing video games during their free time. I’ve always liked video games,” says Andrew. “They are distracting and it’s something you can have bragging rights with over your friends. It’s a great way to get a competitive fix.” Young professionals don’t characteristically succumb to the constant pressure to keep upgrading their digital toys. “You find something much more capable than the previous model and twice as cheap,” says Anderson. “You think, ‘Oh, I could take advantage of this great feature,’ but you just end up chasing your tail.” Anderson commented on the importance of having technology, but he feels you have to exercise your judgment to have the most affordable and useful technology. “You can never really stay ahead of technology,” he says, “You can keep buying, but if you do that enough, other areas of your life are going to suffer. It has to be a balance.” For young professionals in Wisconsin, balance is the name of the game. Balance between work and leisure time, between technology and nature. “You have the disposable income to buy your tech needs, you can always have the latest and greatest technology at your hands if you want it,” says Shedivy. “It’s justification for higher education.”
|
|
|||
|
|||||
