For many years now the executive has long been seen as a driven, hard-working person that will do what it takes to get the job done. Even though this person will work to see the job through and strive to get the most out of every project, like any other person there are going to be times where a mental break is needed. This is where the advent of executive toys is thought to have come from. In the past, these included various items you might find on a desk such as a perpetual motion toy, a magic 8 ball or even, in more recent years, a Zen garden that a person could rake for a mental break. Today, with the proliferation of digital media and technology, can executive toys and gadgets survive the digital age?
More Ways for Distractions besides Gadgets Today
In today’s world where electronics and digital media dominate life in many ways, there are many things beyond the world of gadgets and toys that can serve as a distraction away from work for the executive. Social media alone gives most people the type of escape they may be looking for and more and more people may spend their “down time” perusing Facebook page, looking over tweets on Twitter or checking out pictures on Instagram or Pinterest. It would seem that there is no need for the distraction a simple toy or gadget can provide anymore but in many cases it is seen that now more than ever these gadgets can play an important role for executives.
What These Gadgets Really Provide
All of the toys, gadgets and items that may be found on a typical desk serve as important way to get away from the many hours most executives spend locked to the screens of their computers, laptops, smartphones and tablets. People are spending more hours than ever not only at work but in front of more than one screen at a time. This means that having something else, something tangible that may not necessarily be in the digital or electronic realm, can provide just the type of mental relief and distraction that they need to get a break from it all. Having something different to look at and consider provides a way to get away from the daily stress of the job and think, relax, meditate and become a bit detached from the work world, even if it is only for a few minutes to do something silly like use a magic 8 ball, watch a lava lamp or use a classical mechanical toy or even tipping bird.
With so much gadgetry and electronics all around the typical executive today at nearly every moment, the executive toys and gadgets that you see on desks serve an integral purpose today to help keep an executive on a more tangible and realistic path. These items help to bring more of the personality and identity back to the executive, more so than any electronic gadget can at this point in their career. These gadgets will continue to be used throughout the digital age as the help to keep a mind fresh and provide a tangible, physical object in a world of digital screens.