Fun With Numbers

Today Alec Saunders  points us to Kevin Coughlin , where Kevin talks about the "cost of distraction". Listen to these numbers:

- 22.3 Trillion - the number of emails to be sent this year.

- 3 billion  - the number of instant messages to be relayed by AOL, Yahoo and Microsoft.

- 81.2 Million- the number of text messages to be sent to US cell phones.

Other numbers, along the same lines:

- 2.5 Billion - the number of mobile phone subscribers.

- 850 Million - the number of  mobile handsets sold/year

- $ 2.87 Trillion - Worldwide telecom revenue

Kevin's reports that Basex, a consulting firm, has quantified the cost of these "distractions".  Evidently it costs us $588 billion to be interrupted that much. Hummmm. I guess I don't get it. Yes, I get junk mail and yes, down time is pleasurable and wonderful and critical - but staying in immediate contact with friends, family and colleagues is the thread that brings context to it all. We are a social animal. (Someone once told me that the only reason we invented work was so we'd have an excuse to get together).  We are tribal by nature. We run in packs. To me, these numbers are a reflection of the coming together of a global pack, a large unified earth-sized tribe.

And now that I'm working globally- staying in contact with the greater team is so immediate and fluid - we couldn't do it without the virtual mind-meld. Distractions? I know what you mean, but it's not resonating with me now. I'm loving this stuff.