How will increasing the current speeds of free Wi-Fi, having more hot spots and even offering Wi-Fi services on buses be really beneficial to us ("Wireless@SG: 5Mbps speed by year end", April 12; and "Free Wi-Fi on two service 176 buses", April 13)?

While it is true that a wider reach of Internet services will allow more people to stay connected, do we need to do so all the time and everywhere?

Singapore is already a well-connected country. If we stop to take a break during a bus or train ride, does it really make us less productive?

Everyone acknowledges that our society is a hectic one and now, it is all about instant gratification.

I wonder if there is any research that links greater connectivity with higher productivity, or will the time be spent on social media, such as Facebook or Twitter?

Instead of constantly being connected, with no significant productivity gains, why not relish a moment or two of quiet time?

As it is, our world is far too connected. For example, many bosses expect a quick response to e-mail, even those sent late at night.

While on holidays, we cannot really relax as technology has allowed us to stay connected, such as with auto-roaming services and data plans that give us no excuse to tell our companies that we are uncontactable.

We need to strike a sensible balance between embracing technology and knowing when to switch off, sit back and smell the roses.

Peter Loon Seng Chee