Opinion Today: Ann Patchett writes, “I love email, and I hate email”

The acclaimed novelist reflects on her fraught relationship with her inbox.

View in browser|nytimes.com October 15, 2024 By Cornelia Channing Editorial Assistant, Opinion I recently read a somewhat nauseating statistic. The average person spends approximately six and a half hours a day on the internet, which means, if trends continue, that typical high schoolers today will spend somewhere around 17 years of their lives online. Seventeen years. It seems an impossible amount of time. I'm hardly a purist. I use and (mostly) love the internet. It's full of information and beauty and life. But still — 17 years? Doesn't the sheer immensity of all that time raise the question: Are wasting our lives scrolling on our phones? In the second installment of our series How to Live With Regret, the author Ann Patchett grapples with similar questions in reflecting on her relationship with email, which she describes as both a source of joy and as "a black hole where time goes." Unlike me, Patchett actually is a purist. She does not have a cellphone or use social media or watch television. And as the author of more than a dozen books, I would argue that she has made more meaningful use of her time on earth than most of us. And yet even she sits up late at night staring down an ever-refilling inbox. This tension between the incredible power and incredible time-sucking mindlessness of technology is, I think, a central and unavoidable conflict of modern life — and one often discussed in the pages of this newspaper. But Patchett's essay approaches the subject in a way that feels both refreshing and personal. It might just be the kick you need to change your own internet habits, or at the very least, it could inspire you to put down your phone and instead spend the afternoon with one of her richly imagined novels. You won't regret it. Read the guest essay: Kristina Tzekova Guest Essay Ann Patchett: I Signed Up for Email in 1995. I Still Regret It. What was email but the chance for more friends, more love, more work? By Ann Patchett Here's more from Opinion, curated by Times editors and personalized for you Tailyr Irvine for The New York Times Why Montana Is Slipping Away From Jon Tester The state's changing electorate and America's polarized politics have turned Montana's Senate race into the most consequential of the year. By Michelle Cottle Carlos Barria/Reuters America Is on the Brink of a Great Political Realignment. It's Already Visible in Arizona. He and his acolytes purged the G.O.P. to make it smaller and more strident. By Michelle Goldberg Emily Elconin for The New York Times Trump Has Become Unmoored in Time His grim vision of America seems stuck in the past. By Paul Krugman How Do You Say Goodbye to an Abusive Family Member? How do you cope when an abusive family member becomes terminally ill? By Frøydis Fossli Moe Clement Mahoudeau/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The Defendants in France's Rape Trial Are Telling Us Something Horrifying The past few weeks have been a brutal reminder that ignorance or the claiming of it can be a convenient tool of the powerful. By Valentine Faure We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Opinion Today newsletter from The New York Times. To stop receiving Opinion Today, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018