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Nov 19, 2009 10:15 pm US/Central
CBS 11 Takes E-Mail Away From Local Couple
ARGYLE (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
It used to keep us tied to our computers, but now we can take e-mail with us wherever we go. But, is the constant connection to e-mail helping or hurting our lives? To find out, we asked a North Texas couple to give it up for a week, and as we learned, it led to some pretty big changes.
David Avery of Argyle spends a lot of time checking his e-mail.
"As soon as we come in, he has to check the e-mail, both home and work," said his wife, Stephanie.
While he's on the computer, a room away, she's making dinner with their son.
"If we need something, we have to be like 'David, could you open this?' or 'Could you do this?'" she said.
Both Averys agree, though, that e-mail has taken over as their main form of communication.
"A lot of times, it's almost easier for me to quickly type it in and send it than get on the phone," David said. "It's just a fun way to keep in touch because we're all busy."
But neither parent realized how much e-mail affected their lives and their son's life.
"I hadn't realized how much I was really sitting in there until she started telling me," Avery said.
James Robbins is a licensed counselor for the
Dallas Whole Life Center. He says he's seeing more clients who are losing valuable family memories because they're spending too much time on the computer.
"I think they will miss the idea of creating memories together," he said. "I've never had a single client say, 'Remember that really great e-mail I got five years ago? We really exchanged a great e-mail during that time.'"
"Maybe we are disassociating ourselves from other people," David Avery wondered. "We don't have as much one-on-one contact."
We asked the Averys to give up their e-mail for one week to see what would change. Four days later when we caught up with them at the
Wiggly Play Center where they work, David said it really wasn't that bad.
"We're all sitting down and eating breakfast together again, and it's a little bit nice," he said.
Stephanie said her husband had a little harder time than he let on, though.
"The first day he was staring off into space, and I said, 'What are you doing?' And he said, 'I was just thinking.' And I said, 'You don't really know what to do, do you?'" she explained.
But, even before the week was over, David was already planning permanent changes.
"It kind of got me thinking on whether or not I really need to be sending e-mails at 6 a.m., or if it can wait to 8 a.m.," he said.
By the end of the seven days, David said he felt calmer and less stressed.
"I kind of enjoyed the switch and not feeling like I had to rush in there and start working the minute I got up," he said.
Both Stephanie and David agreed that the time with their son away from e-mail has been worth it.
"Now it's more that I'm up doing things again, getting more active, and playing with Colby," David said.
Click Here To Read David's Blog
Robbins tells his clients it's important for children to see their parents interacting face-to-face instead of through e-mail otherwise the child could pick up the same habit.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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