Separation between work and private life is becoming increasingly blurred
The third development is that work and private life are increasingly intertwined. This merging has been going on for some time, but (mobile) internet is accelerating this process even further. How easy it is to read Facebook, check your bank balance or book a plane ticket list to data at work. At the same time, we also spend more time on our work in our private lives. Soon after the introduction of Blackberry, it became clear that employees continued to read emails in their private lives. Checking emails for half an hour a day quickly gives the boss fifteen new working days!
work and private balanceIn response to this merging, we see counter-movements such as at Volkswagen in Germany. This company decided in 2012 that its employees were no longer allowed to email outside of work hours. Conversely, employees were also no longer allowed to arrange private matters during work. The idea behind this is that by separating work and private life, employees will gain more focus and experience a healthier balance. What does this mean for
The fourth and final development that is becoming increasingly clear is the internet becoming more dangerous. The flower-power era of the internet is over. The time that it was new, that we shared everything and that it was free, is over . The internet is becoming more common, bigger and more everyday and with that it is acquiring the same characteristics as the offline world. In short; the backside of the internet is becoming more visible, the internet is also becoming more dangerous.