Monday Oct. 20 is Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day and I must confess that my virtual world these days is even more cluttered than my real one. I must find time to clean up my desktop, organize my files, trash all those old emails and drafts and generally get my digital world in order.

In 1970 Alvin Toffler warned us of "Future Shock" - the challenge of coping with an increasing rate of change. Unfortunately, the demands of our 24/7 world have added to our worries and created what Douglas Rushkoff refers to as "Present Shock" in his book of that title. We are so inundated with messages that there is precious little time to think, reflect, breathe deeply and give thought to either reflecting on our past or contemplating our future.

Yet, as Rushkoff argues, as humans, our sense of well-being and identity is one of narrative - we have a past, we struggle to cope with the present, and we need to think about our future. When the technology deprives us of this narrative we feel disconnected; stuck and suffer from present shock.

In another sense, our digital record is an important part of our lives and people today are giving greater attention to their digital legacy. Who will inherit your digital assets? The good news is that when we are gone, our digital assets, properly organized will enable future generations to have a deeper understanding of who we were. By better understanding those that came before them, the next generation will have a better understanding of themselves.

In the end, technology, like all tools can be good or bad, depending upon how we use it. There are indeed times when it is important to disconnect, for example when talking with our children, during meal times or at the end of the day when children have returned home from school and are excited about their day. By being more organized and getting our digital assets in order we will feel better and be ready to meet tomorrow's challenges with confidence and enthusiasm.

The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/eugeneclark.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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