* You may ask yourself if the dawn of the digital age has resulted in a similarly lousy deal for us. Until recently, phones were attached to landlines, and if you wanted to write someone, you had to send a letter through the mail. In those days, I received a few calls a day from my friends—no one bothered calling when people were likely to be out—and a letter or two every day. Mobile phones, the Internet, and email have enabled us to be in touch all the time, but that connectivity comes with a cost. I love that I can contact my family, friends, colleagues, and students so easily, but instant global communication also means that work requests pop up on my phone or laptop a hundred times a day. Like the first farmers, I had no idea what was in store for me when I signed up for an email account thirty years ago. I was pretty sure that it would make my life easier, and although I’m not so sure now, it’s hard to opt out.