More Valuable Than Money
Nothing is more valuable than money, you say? Try time. Try information.
These two commodities are ever gaining value even as it becomes harder for us to feel in
control of them.
Most Americans say they feel stressed out and short of time, so it's
impossible for them to believe they have nearly as much free time as they've had for
years. Long-term studies of Americans' use of time show that leisure is increasingly
fragmented and filled with more activities, according to scholars John Robinson
and Geoffrey Godbey. Instead of long summer vacations, people take
"mental health" days or leave work early to dash to the kids' soccer games.
The opportunity to escape the workweek for short periods creates ways
for people to manage their free time better. Such inventions as the videotape recorder and
its digital successors also give people more control of time. In the future, look for mass
customization of time. (See "There's Still Time for Life.")
If you've been flooded with credit-card applications, mortgage offers,
and a host of other things from organizations that somehow got your e-mail address, phone
number, and other information, you are well aware of how valuable your personal
information can be. And with the growing risk of identity theft, it is ever more
imperative that this personal information be well protected—something few people have
the time or expertise to do.
Enter the personal information manager, a new profession for the
knowledge age. Scenario planner and consultant Brian Mulconrey
illustrates how a system of personal information management may help you make the most of
your personal data, just as mutual fund managers help you make the most of your money.
(See "Your Personal Information: Your Most Valuable Asset.")
Yet another thing more valuable than money: Your mind. The rise of
Alzheimer's disease due to the lengthening of life spans in Western society robs growing
numbers of people of precious cognitive function. Alzheimer's researchers Tyler A.
Kokjohn and Kimbal E. Cooper report on what breakthroughs we may
expect in our future understanding of this disease. (See "The Outlook for Alzheimer's
Disease.")
Click to order the September-October 2005 issue of THE FUTURIST.
