My open-space neighbour and friend Fabio Sergio has written an interesting essay on the erosion of time by those technological devices that were once supposed to save us time. At one point he writes:

"Results of our rising expectations towards constant availability are already well known, like the disappearing boundaries between work and play, between our professional and personal life."

On this aspect, what is interesting is that we are not witnessing a balanced merge between work and play, but an invasion of our personal sphere by the forces of work. Ever had a day off, an evening out, a moment of play disrupted by a call from work that just couldn't wait? The "couldn't wait" part is important. A symptom perhaps of what Fabio has dubbed Interaction Anxiety; lets call it the immediate response syndrome, the need to answer an email, reply to a voicemail, provide a solution NOW. Hyper-speed in work practices becomes akin to driving full speed without taking into consideration the need to slow down to tackle the approaching bend. With bleak pessimism, digital (counter)culture theorist bifo writes (in italian): "A depression epidemic has hit planet earth. After 20 years of economic fanaticalness, superwork and competition have brought the psychic energies of humanity to the point of collapse".

"We live in the now" writes Fabio. This "now" however, does not free us from the tyranny of time, allowing us to bask in the richness and heat of the pure present. Instead it leaves us locked in overload now.