Today’s technology seems to be synonymous with 24-hour notifications and connectivity. Especially those of us who have more direct contact with people interested in technology often hear phrases like: I just turned off all notifications from my phone. I would like to reflect briefly on this complex issue.
Notifications require personalization, a lot of personalization
Go ahead, this is a personal advice and each of us will know better than anyone how to set up and use notifications on all devices. What I want to present here is simply a reflection on the question. A reflection that starts from the observation that silencing all notifications seems like a bug to me. Let me explain why.
The main reason is that there are several types of really important notifications. I’m talking about messages, calls or, in general, communication that may come from our family or our close circle of friends. I think it’s important, in an age when communication is so easy, that we can be available in case you need us. Personally, I don’t understand these people who can take days to respond to a message or who never answer the phone.
In my opinion, therefore, turning off all notifications is too much. Personally, I couldn’t be calm knowing that if my mom needs me for something, I won’t even notice it. But I have to get beyond the issue of prioritizing message notifications from friends or family. Certain notifications are required during business hours and are It is important that we receive it and process it quickly..
Customizing notifications based on utility, time of day, origin, app, device and more is what keeps us at our service and not the reverse.
Likewise, I consider all devices to be different when it comes to notifications. Much depends on how we use them, no doubt, but let me explain with an example. On my iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, only VIP list contacts send a notification in Mail. On the Mac, however, any message catches my eye. The reason is simple: I use the Mac for work and receiving press releases, news and other communications is part of my job.
Something similar is happening with notifications from messaging apps or even social media. We might want to see them if we go to the notification center on our iPhone or iPad, but they don’t have to tap us on the wrist, with our Apple Watch, continuously. What I’m going to do is every time I see more and more people throwing in the towel with overwhelmed notifications and wanting to turn them all off. To these people, many of whom are my students during the training, I say: we need to carefully customize the notifications.
Either via the states of concentration, arrived with iOS 15 and macOS Monterey, or by activating and deactivating the notifications to the various applications, a customization according to our needs is essential so that they continue to be useful to us without overwhelming us. This personalization can even be done according to the schedules. In my case, for example, from a certain time of the afternoon / night, some notifications are kept. It’s not so much to avoid cling the iPhone or the vibration of the Apple Watch, it’s the simple desire not to fall asleep with pending tasks, I will take care of the news in the morning.
As you started off by saying, the subject of notifications is a very personal one. This article is meant to be a reflection on them. The one that highlights them and leads us to consider either activating the most important, or deactivating the most superfluous. The right amount, at the right time, is key to ensuring that notifications work for us and not the other way around.
Image | Vojtech Bruzek
