Asynchronous, synchronous and sync

Waiting for my turn to speak, I tuned in on a webinar wherein the speaker before me addressed the questions sent in by the participants. The participant unmuted her microphone and asked a question.

Many speakers dread the Q&A portion because it is the only portion of their presentation they cannot control. The speaker may present a brilliant work, but if they cannot sensibly answer the question, everything presented is disbelieved and negated. The speaker gave a long exposition on the meaning of the words:

Asynchronous – “of two or more objects or events not existing or happening simultaneously.”

Synchronous - “existing or occurring at the same time.”

Perhaps the explanation was too long, maybe the person asking the question was bored, maybe the tone of the answer comes out condescendingly. But what was surprising was the participant snapped. “I know what asynchronous and synchronous mean, and I am a mother helping my children do online education. So you do not have to explain it too long for me.” This reaction clearly shows the participant’s displeasure.

Why do people easily snap these days? There seems to be this invisible force of pressure upon us, such that being still, quiet, doing deep thinking, and self-reflection makes us guilty we are not doing something “productive.”

We all have digital notifications, and we have email and all those apps on our smartphones. We have gone to the level of attaching them to our bodies. Every time we are mentioned, pinged or summoned by the fitness band or when the smartphone vibrates. Then we turn a potentially empowering asynchronous technology into a falsely synchronous one, acquiring phantom vibration syndrome. No wonder people burn out.

This observation seems to hold the same for businesses as the quarterly targets or end-of-the-month reports exert a lot of pressure and make a person ecstatic or depressed in multiple runs throughout the year.

One way to say this is that you and I are no longer in sync with the more naturally occurring rhythms as smartphones get smarter, and it may seem like without proper management of its use, men and women are made dumber. A book I read spoke volumes to me, and here is an excerpt:

”People have been achieving the benefit of sync since the invention of agriculture. Farmers learned that certain crops grow better in particular climates and seasons, so they plant the right seeds at the correct times. Not only is the crop better and more bountiful when planting is organized in this fashion, but the fruits, vegetables, and grains available end up better matched to the human physiology’s needs during that season.

Potatoes, yams, carrots, beets, and other root vegetables are in ample supply during the winter months, providing sustained energy and generating warmth. The moist, hydrating fruits available during the summer are cooling to the overheated body.”

“Beyond these superficial relationships are very specific glandular and hormonal connections.

“Technology provides and enables us with more choices over how and when we do things. This tends to make us forget  that our bodies are not quite as programmable as our schedules.” Now, this makes a lot of sense.

With all the seemingly endless Zoom meetings, competing for bandwidth with family members doing online education and young folks doing TikTok, juggling chores and office work - burnout, fatigue, and stress is getting to people and many have quit their jobs without even knowing why.

Thanks to technology, we work at all hours on-demand. We spend free time trying to empty our email boxes. We kid ourselves into thinking that checking into what is trending on social media is a refreshing break and a worthwhile entertaining activity.

Our constant staring at the screens, being less attuned to the natural light of day, give us the false digital hope that all time is equivalent and interchangeable.

I do not know where we are going and where technology will bring us, but men are not machines. We need to have times of renewal, and we should have time to recharge and not be under the tyranny of meaningless pressures. As my favorite philosopher, Dr. Dallas Willard, says, “You have to ruthlessly eliminate hurry in your life,” including the phantom hurry that runs in our minds. Or else the slightest mention of words like asynchronous, synchronous or even the word sync may make us snap.

(Francis Kong’s highly acclaimed Level Up Leadership Master Class Online will have its final run for the year from Nov. 17 to 19. For inquiries and reservations, contact April at +63928-559-1798 or and for more information, visit www.levelupleadership.ph)