In Rushkoff’s text, Program or Be Programmed (http://www.scribd.com/doc/47990572/Rushkoff-Douglas-Program-or-Be-Programmed-Ten-Commands-for-a-Digital-Age) I was really interested in what he was saying about, digital traffic. I definitely agree with Rushkoff when he says that we have anxiety about our digital technologies. Whether it’s checking our cell phones, e-mail, inboxes, computer etc. we are always trying to locate them and check them, even if we did that two minutes ago. Rushkoff compares this to a gamblers addiction with slot machines.

I found it really amusing that there is even a syndrome (phantom vibration syndrome) that makes people think their phone is vibrating in their pocket when it isn’t even there. Reading this was an eye opener to how dependent we’ve become on digital technologies, and how obsessed we’ve become with them. Many people feel like they don’t have a choice, Rushkoff states when it comes to our relationships with digital traffic. However, he then provides us with the notion of autonomy: “We can choose to whom or what we want to be available, and when. And we can even choose people for whom we want to be always on” (Rushkoff, 31). I personally agree with this definition in relation to digital traffic. We have the ability to be open to any family member at all times of the day through a phone, but that phone line doesn’t have to be available for everyone.

I feel as though people today have become way too consumed with their technologies for the wrong reason. An example of that would be the phantom vibration syndrome. We have found a way to make these digital materialistic objects one of the most important things in our day. If we keep digital traffic to a minimum and only use our cell phones, email, computers etc. for what we need, I feel like we will ultimately be happier and less stressed out…let’s be honest.