Technology that was supposed to save time has somehow made us busier than ever - what went wrong?

Innovations that save time don't translate to leisure if economic system demands constant growth & productivity. Washing machines should've given women more free time - instead cultural expectations elevated to "now you can wash clothes daily instead of weekly." Productivity gains became new baseline, not bonus leisure

We're doing it to ourselves honestly. Nobody's forcing us to fill every moment with content and connection. Grandparents were "bored" sometimes and that was normal! Now boredom feels illegal. The second we have downtime we reach for phones, creating endless cycle of engagement and stimulation that our brains now require

Your comparative baseline is wrong. Pre-modern people had periods of intense work (harvest) then significant downtime. Industrial revolution created artificial work patterns disconnected from natural cycles. We've been overworked for 150+ years - modern tech just makes it more obvious since work now follows us everywhere

Simple: technology removed physical constraints that naturally limited work (daylight, physical location, office hours) without replacing them with cultural/social constraints. When you can work anytime, capitalism ensures you will work anytime. Liberation requires norms, not just innovations

Blame shifting expectations. Grandma's "clean house" vs today's instagram-perfect home. Dad's "provider" role vs modern parent expected to excel at work AND be fully present parent simultaneously. Technology didn't create unrealistic standards - we did that through media/comparison culture that tech enables

Observed each "productivity" advance getting immediately squandered on additional complexity or increased expectations. Early spreadsheets could've saved accountants hours but instead justified cutting accounting staff while increasing reporting requirements. Remaining workers no less busy

Biggest cognitive error was assuming time-saving inventions would accumulate linearly. Reality: every tech shortcut creates new activities/processes previously unimaginable. Email "saved time" over physical mail, then exploded message volume 100x. Technology doesn't just speed up existing activities - it transforms what activities exist

The hedonic treadmill effect explains why productivity gains never translate to increased satisfaction. As technological efficiency increases, expectations adjust upward at equal or greater rate, creating perpetual gap between capability and contentment regardless of absolute productivity level

urban design deserves blame too. Technology should enable remote work from anywhere, yet we've concentrated jobs in expensive urban centers requiring brutal commutes. We sacrifice potential leisure time to transportation because work remains anchored to physical locations despite technological alternatives

Discovered solution accidentally during 3-month sabbatical: intentional technology constraints. Deleted work apps from phone, disabled email outside 9-5, removed notifications, instituted strict social media windows. Brain physically adjusts to slower information pace after initial withdrawal symptoms

the tragic reality? increased productivity primarily benefited capital owners, not workers. american worker productivity increased ~62% since 1980 while wages grew only ~17% (adjusted for inflation). technology made us more productive but traditional work week remained fixed by design

Culture plays enormous role. American "rise and grind" mentality treats busyness as virtue signal. Contrast with countries instituting 4-day workweeks, mandatory vacations, right-to-disconnect laws. Same technology exists globally but massive variation in how cultures integrate it into work-life balance