7AM. You roll out of bed, pull on your workout clothes and head out for a run, blaring Pearl Jam on your walkman. After a shower and breakfast, you head to the office and wait a good 10 minutes for your computer — which takes up half of your desk — to boot up, and then another 10 minutes to log onto this brand new thing called the “internet” (also known as the World Wide Web). You try to discern cryptic messages in all of your modem’s beeping and crackling but, like every day, you come up short.
Okay, so maybe this little anecdote doesn’t describe the way most of us live and work anymore, but you’d still be pretty surprised how many vestiges from the 90s still remain in the everyday working lives of most working professionals. It’s all fun and games when you’re laughing at your co-worker’s head sized Zach Morris phone, but working like you’re still in the 90s isn’t so amusing when it’s seriously inhibiting your ability to get things done.
So how can you tell if you’re working in a decade gone by, and what can you do about it?
1. You Make Your Calls From a Landline
Look, we all know how much Ma and Pa Bell have contributed to office culture. But seriously, a landline? Why pay for that, a cell phone and an internet connection, when all it gives you is talk? Skype gives you that for free when calling other Skype users, and the price to call cell phones is pretty darn good. Google Hangout video conferences are crystal clear, sync with Google Drive and really, any Google product, and allow you to wear silly hats. For free. Cut the landline dependency, pronto!
2. Your Internet Sucks
I’m going to go ahead assume you don’t still use dial up (the horror! The horror!). But if you’re internet goes at a snail’s pace, you might as well be. That’s a problem in today’s Wi-Fi dependent world, as it inhibits your ability to respond quickly to emails, watch important videos, consume expert articles and connect on social media. Worst of all, it makes working in the cloud a complete drag, inhibiting your ability to create multiple backups of your work, and making it so that…(keep reading…)
3. You Never Leave Your Office
Did we mention that not having a speedy internet service is a problem? While more and more people are working from home, using remote access to keep in sync with coworkers, slow internet essentially axes any work arrangement that happens outside of the office. This makes you the most 90s worker of all: someone that (gasp!) is tethered to their desk.
4. You Type on a Clunky Keyboard
All technology was clunky in the 90s, but none more so than keyboards (ew). Not only did these goliaths take up far too much space, but they also weren’t that great for your wrists or joints, forcing your hands into an unnatural, straight position. If you’re still working on a keyboard like this today, you risk more than just looking old school; keyboards that can’t adjust to your body type and typing style greatly increase your risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome and other Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSIs). A truly ergonomic keyboard will split in the middle and tent, so that you can find the right angle and fit for you. Plus, it’ll look sleek and shiny on your desk, so all of your slim mobile products won’t kick it out of the clique.
5. You Bring Paper to Business Meetings
While pamphlets, booklets, business cards and notebooks can occasionally still be useful in the modern business meeting, there’s really no need to be carrying around that much paper, unless maybe you’re looking to buff up. A sales or marketing presentation looks great on a tablet, and if your potential client likes what they see, you can just email it to them — a perfect opportunity to also funnel them onto your mailing list and connect with them on social media. Your tablet is also a great place to take notes, and you can easily share contact info with an app like Bump, which has the added benefit of keeping your contacts far more ordered than they’d ever be stuffed into the bottom of your briefcase.
In Short
If these symptoms have helped you diagnose yourself as a 90s hangover, never fear: with slim mobile technology galore, a quick fix is just around the corner. Now log out of that AOL chatroom and go make some changes to your worklife!
About the Author: When not working on her fiction writing, Leah Kaminsky is a writer and a blogger with a keen interest in work-life balance. She blogs regular for Goldtouch, an ergonomic keyboard company located just outside of Austin, TX. Follow Goldtouch at @Goldtouch or Leah at @LeahKaminsky.
Photo credit: Fiona Henderson
