All year long, we shamble through the work week, zombie-walking to and from our cubicles, our eyes dead and cold like those of that hideous teddy bear you bought for your 15-year-old niece because you're not sure what "kids these days are into." (Hint: She wants an iPhone, fool!)
We are slaves to our computers and mobile devices, forever accessible -- pretty soon those of us in New York City will have zero reprieve from the digital realm, as even the subways will be wired. Oh, how the Missed Connections page will suffer with everyone glued to their smartphones all the more.
Still, every year, we are given a few glorious national holidays during which we are released from our cubicle-forged chains. And yet, according to a recent study from Xobni and Harris Interactive, 59% of American adults check work e-mail during holidays such as Christmas. And of those people, 28% check e-mail several times throughout the day.
The end-of-year holidays are miserable enough -- what with the S.A.D., the forced, ritualistic commercialism, the fact that Santa doesn't exist. (For any kids who wander across this: Just kidding!) Why add to the malaise by logging into Outlook whilst half drunk on eggnog and self-loathing?
So, continuing in our recent vein of resolutions and proclamations (Eradicate the emoticon! Keep your digital promises!), we have yet another challenge for you: Cease and desist with the inbox refreshing for at least one day this holiday season. Your inner child (you know, the one that delighted in Lincoln Logs, not the App Store) will thank you.
And so begins my Netiquette column -- which I write with my Stuff Hipsters Hate co-blogger, Andrea Bartz -- this week over at CNN.