The Scales of Justice is an important symbol to Law professionals, representing the opposing sides of a case, weighed out impartially by an often-blindfolded Lady Justice— signifying fairness. But unlike in a legal case, lawyers want their Scales of Life not to tip too much to one side or the other.
NJLAP’s mission is to help lawyers achieve that balance. This newsletter is part of that vision.
What is "Social Technology" Fatigue?
The wide range of “social technologies” used in the workplace is becoming more and more the standard for organizations of all types. A 2017 report by McKinsey Digitalfound:
“... 45 percent say social technologies are very or extremely integrated into day-to-day work at their companies, up from one-third who said so one year before.”
In the three years since that survey was done, usage has continued to go up, with some exponential growth in 2020, especially in the area of video conferencing. During the shutdowns and precautions caused by the pandemic, lawyers are finding themselves more and more working with these digital tools and electronic legal procedures. Email is increasingly replacing phone calls and online collaboration has become a reality due to in-person meeting restrictions. It is no surprise that this is causing what is being called “Zoom Fatigue” across the legal profession.
Problems range from the technical aspects of both learning new platforms, and dealing with internet/wi-fi/bandwidth issues, to difficulty with work/life balance. Real physical and psychological effects are occurring because of these changes in how work is being conducted. Lawyers are not only dealing with increased use of technology in their own offices and firms, but also in dealing with courts and legal systems as a whole. Add to it feelings of isolation, additional family responsibilities and possible illness, and it is easy to understand why stress, anxiety and depression are on the rise.
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"There is virtue in work and there is virtue
in rest.
Use both
and overlook neither."
- Alan Cohen
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