Why are we so busy?

One of the biggest complaints people have today is that they are too busy – that they don’t have enough time. What’s behind this perception? N.C. State University economist Mike Walden answers.

“Well, many say technology. That technology is allowing us to access, for example, more shopping opportunities, more media opportunities, more contacts via social media. And from an economist’s point of view, what essentially technology has done is reduce the costs of all these kinds of contacts.

“In economics, whenever you reduce the cost of something, people are going to use more of it. So to economists, it really isn’t surprising that people are much busier. Because (of) these low costs ways of accessing people, accessing firms, accessing media, they are doing more of it. And by doing that, they are filling of their time to a greater extent.

“I think all this comes down to managing your time and putting a value on how you are using your time. And if you do that, experts say, perhaps you will reduce the level of busyness that you’re facing.”