Oh, wow, “Eagle-Eyes” did it again! He spotted this headline, recently, and showed it to “the boss,” who promptly placed it on the breakfast table so I couldn’t miss it.

S.F. Chronicle Staff Writer, Edward Guthmann, reports on a change in course for “cybernauts” (like me) who love to wander through cyberspace using all sorts of electronic gadgets to e-mail, conference call, and network. Here are a few pertinent comments from people he interviewed:

“I started to feel that high-tech culture was dramatically out of balance – like a combination of a hamster and an echo chamber.” (I don’t know if I like that comparison to a HAMster, but there are times when I only talk with “Me, Myself, & I.”)

“It’s difficult to think outside the box when you’re always in it, and the box is getting stronger and stronger.” (I always thought that “information and communication technology” was useful in breaking out of the box; however, I must admit that for over a week I’ve been “living and breathing” my blogosphere for most of the day.)

A recent Pew Internet & American Life Project survey (2006), revealed that even though 85% of American adults used a cell phone or the Internet to communicate, only 2-3% believed that face to face contact was lessened by these forms of communication technology. “What the survey didn’t consider is the possibility that tech users are so enveloped in the worlds of e-mail and cell phones – that they’ve lost the distance or proportion to judge their effectiveness in face-to-face social situations.” Now, that is certainly “food for thought.” I love my daily helpings of feeding on cyber-stuff, but that “thought” is upsetting my community and people-centered “stomach.” The pressure to cut back on “living” in a “wired and a wireless” world is building. Is there a “right-way” to use these gadgets?

One of the people interviewed felt that the only way she could cope with the situation was to take a sabbatical, stop completely and enjoy a “magical summer.” Another person thought, “The dot-com bust was the best thing that ever happened to me up to that point. It caused me to recognize that people, not machines, are my passion.” That person is now a social worker. I can understand that type of change because almost 60 years ago, I switched from studying to be a civil engineer to a “social engineer.” (Teacher)

“Hammerhead” thought this “Tuning out technology” article was quite timely. Oh-oh, I hear a knock on the door. What’s up? Stay tuned, this saga continues.