Source: The Verge
Technology has become so rampant nowadays that people consider it almost an act of blasphemy to shut their phones down. The constant need and demand to stay connected at all times have altered people’s psyche, giving gadgets more power over their users than people have over them. Especially amid the pandemic, when human connection is limited to virtual interactions, technology has played an even greater role in communication, self-expression, and human connection.
Ironically, the man behind Apple says that people are using their phones for the wrong reasons. According to one of his former employees, Steve Jobs would cause a stir among his staff at one point because he can’t be reached. But disconnecting for the business magnate wasn’t wasted time, but rather time well spent.
Steve Jobs, the former CEO and co-founder of Apple Inc. is one of the most recognized personalities in the tech industry. He was born and raised in San Francisco, California. Jobs is the brains behind game-changing products that gave people convenience. But Jobs never aimed to radically change human life with Apple’s products. He just wanted to make things better. Cal Newport, the author of the book entitled Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noise World, said that when Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007, he did not see the device as a revolutionary tool that would shape life today. For Jobs, the iPhone was simply “an iPod that made phone calls.”
Steve Job’s former executive assistant, Naz Beheshti, also revealed some tidbits of the CEO’s life. Contrary to popular opinion, Jobs wasn’t always on his phone. In fact, Beheshti said that Jobs taught her to prioritize overall wellness by turning off one’s gadgets. It may seem impossible for entrepreneurs, especially high-profile CEOs, to stay out of the radar, even just for a few minutes, but Jobs did for the sake of “play.”
Beheshti told readers in her books that the time Steve Jobs turned off his phone was essential for him to fuel creativity, imagination, and freedom. It gave the CEO time to laugh and space to brainstorm new ideas native to his own thinking. By freeing himself of the noise, the need to constantly refresh feeds, Jobs formulated design ideas that further cemented Apple’s influence on human life. He amplified the message that being productive doesn’t mean being online 100% of the time, but it’s about pursuing wellness in all aspects of life.
Beheshti also told CNBC in an interview that Jobs prioritized his well-being for the sake of having the energy, clarity, and vision to sustain his success and build Apple. The former executive assistant shared that Jobs meditated daily, regularly exercised, and ate healthily. The practices of her former boss caused Beheshti to realize the need to “work on all” aspects of wellness.
Furthermore, some would think that Steve Job’s children had a bunch of Apple products readily available at home, but the business magnate did not allow his children to use the iPad when it first came out. As digital natives, the younger generation tends to be more drawn to technology. Experts also observed that even the youngest children know how to navigate phones without being taught the basics. While this fact may sound amazing at first glance, exposure to technology also has its own complications, physically and mentally.
“That’s because we have seen the dangers of technology firsthand,” said Steve Jobs in an interview. “I’ve seen it in myself; I don’t want to see that happen to my kids.”
To learn more about Steve Jobs, visit this site.
Sources:
https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/why-steve-jobs-would-reject-way-we-use-our-iphones-today.html
https://www.macobserver.com/link/steve-jobs-taught-his-former-executive-assistant-to-work-on-all/
