Our houses are loaded with the latest gadgets such as clocks, phones, TVs and computers. Even so, many of us never stop complaining about how little time we have. Isn’t it a great paradox that we have so little time to do things despite a technology boom?

As technology improves, the time it takes to complete any task has also plummeted. Virtually no place is untouched by technology whether it is the tar-covered roads or our homes and kitchens. So why this great divide between how things ‘should be’ but how they actually ‘are’?

One of the reasons could be that people try to do too much in what little time they have. As technology hastens things, people want to cram more and more activities into their daily hectic routines. This leaves them with very little leisure time. By pushing things to the limits, they get caught up in the fast pace of life.

In most urban places, both parents work full-time and have very little time for their children and housework. As a result, children seem to be alienated from their parents, and vice versa. While still others suffer from chronic stress. Even at home, more and more people spend their time making unnecessary phone calls, getting glued to a TV set or pattering at the computer keyboard.

Mental strain that accompanies long hours in front of TV and computers only adds to people’s discomfort. This way modern media plays a big part in keeping people from fulfilling their social obligations. The arrears of work mount, never to be completed.

The Western work ethic that encourages people to maximise their earnings, while boosting productivity, can exact a heavy toll on a person’s psyche. People are constantly pushing the boundaries to get a head start.

However, as more work is added, people find it hard to get things done.

These days, the sight of people hustling about with no clear aim in mind has become quite common.

The secret to happiness is not to let technology swamp our lives.

We must learn to find the time to stand and stare. Enjoy life as it comes.

Striking a proper balance becomes vitally important. Enjoy the fruits of the present while keeping an eye on the future.