How do New York Times journalists use technology in their jobs and in their personal lives? John Schwartz, a climate reporter, discussed the tech he’s using.

What does your tech setup look like for work and at home?

It’s pretty messy, and it’s all about the laptop. I use a MacBook Pro that I carry back and forth. At work, The Times gives me a big second monitor and a dongle to charge the phone and tie in the backup drive. At home, I have a desk but do much of my evening research and writing in an easy chair in the living room with the laptop propped up on the chair arm.

More important than the way my system is set up is what I do with it. I have configured my computer system at work so that along with whatever stories I’m dealing with, the big extra monitor shows me a stream of photos of my grandkids, my children and my folks.

It’s no news to readers that the technologies we use can make us jittery, angry and sad. There’s Twitter outrage, Facebook and Instagram FOMO, and the constant nagging of email and Slack. And let’s face it, writing about climate change for a living isn’t exactly cheerful. So that stream of photos brings me little bursts of pleasure throughout my day, a regular lift. Similar images show up on my Apple Watch and iPhone. Why shouldn’t technology bring us joy along with all that angst?