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Futures Studies Economics Ecology

Boundaries in an Overconnected World

Setting Limits to Preserve Your Focus, Privacy, Relationships, and Sanity

Information overload is now a commonly used phrase, which is partly due to electronic intrusions and distractions that interrupt our focus. This book is designed to help readers regain control over time, focus and energy, and builds on the previous work of the author. As she remarks, constant connectivity has created a world without boundaries. This makes us vulnerable to intrusions, especially in relation to email. I'm sure we are all guilty of forwarding amusing anecdotes or cute pictures to friends and family; this is clearly an area for a new form of etiquette. So far as petitions are concerned, these can be flagged on Facebook, which gives people the option about taking it further. She has some very useful guidance about settings and what to keep open at certain times. She also reminds us of the cost of capricious clicking in terms of time, energy, flexibility, health and connection with ourselves and others. She suggests creating a connection free time in the household. Other issues addressed include protection, cyberspace trickery, intimacy and online dating and group cyber boundaries. An appendix outlines a possible personal limit setter and resources for developing intimacy skills.