I have noticed recently that I am very easily distracted. I can’t help but stare out the window during lecture. I watch people at the library when I should be doing my reading. I go out to parties every opportunity I get. Worst of all, I check my e-mail incessantly.

It has become somewhat of an obsession. I close Eudora on my laptop when I leave my room. This way I can check my e-mail at Meyer when I walk by.

I have my cell phone with me at all times. I, like most students, no longer have a land-line in my dorm room. I check for missed calls in between classes, even though there is no way that I can return the call or do anything about the message.

I’m not big into text messaging, but I know plenty of people who are. Quick little sentences can be sent — even during class — just to say hi to a friend. No real content in the message.

Because of this habit, I am fearful of the new technological capability that will pretty much destroy my fragile ability to concentrate — wireless internet.

Think about the girl who brings her laptop to lecture. You might think she does this just to have neat, typewritten notes. She is so responsible, you jealously think. However, looking over her shoulder, you realize that during the lulls in lecture she is playing solitaire.

But it’s gotten even worse since wireless internet has come on the technological scene.

With the introduction of wireless internet to the Stanford campus, students will be able to be fully connected to the black hole of the world wide web, e-mail, and, worst of all, instant messenger. I once sat behind a guy who was IM-ing during lecture. Not only was he distracted, but I couldn’t stop watching him instant message, so I was distracted too!

These examples make me think about technology and when enough is enough. Do I really need to have access to my e-mail 24 hours a day? Do I really need to be accessible to my friends at all times of the day? Do I want my dad calling me on my cell phone when I’m at a frat party?

I just don’t know if this constant connection is that necessary. It can become so distracting that all that concerns me is keeping up with other people. I’ll admit that e-mail is the best invention known to man - save fire, electricity and sliced bread. But I’m sure that it has taken a lot out of my life as well. Think of how many hours you spend checking and responding to e-mails every day. Think of all the pointless e-mails you send to other people. Many of the e-mails I receive are forwards from my friends making fun of other e-mails. But if these e-mails are so stupid, why pass them on to me? Even worse, why am I addicted to reading them?

Since our society has become so connected, I feel like we try harder and harder to temporarily escape all of this. Vacations to remote spots, like a campsite at Tahoe. Hours spent at the spa just to avoid the hassle of daily communication. It has gotten so extreme that adventure vacations have caught on. Trips to Patagonia, the Serengeti, and even Mount Everest attract us in part because they remove us from the fast-paced, highly connected and wired lives that we lead. It’s like we need a break from our lives, from our reality, from our world. Our society can be very tiring after a while.

And these instant connections don’t always provide closer contact with other people. Many times I e-mail a friend to invite her to dinner. I do this in part because if I call her, I’ll have to talk to her for an indefinite amount of time, while if I e-mail her, it’s a succinct message, no frills attached. And I’m on my way. Would it really be that bad to call my friend up?

I know I will succumb to wireless internet and whatever other technological toys come out over the summer. And I will enjoy them next year. But for now I’m thankful that I don’t have wireless internet and these other new distractions while finishing up my work and studying for finals. The sun, the mid-week parties, my e-mail - all of these distract me enough as it is. I already have enough technology getting in the way of my education. And my sanity.

Want to clutter my inbox? E-mail me at cciccone@stanford.edu