To challenge our own thinking and the structures that make our society stand is to ask some hard questions.

For years, the work meeting has been under fire as the most inefficient use of time. As different startups and companies move toward challenging the reason for a meeting in the first place (get information to as many people as possible… something that can be done electronically), even deeper thinking must take place.

Must everyone know about it?
Does it affect everyone receiving the message?
Are the people you speaking to the ones who can do something about it?

All things to consider, but an even bigger picture must be considered.

As I continue on my digital declutter experiment for the month, it’s forced me to consider whether these technologies that are ubiquitous in our lives are really necessary. Each day, I miss them less – including those that are “necessary” for today.

My phone, for instance, is only a platform. Someone in my position doesn’t need the endless notifications of emails and app pings in order to respond immediately. If I were a critical decision maker where every second changes the fate of something much larger (e.g. a political leader on the cusp of war), those notifications could be necessary.

Merely being there and told it makes life easier (or run smoother) doesn’t exclude it from being challenged.

We must always ask the hard questions and be honest with the responses we receive.