The final installment in our series about technology and its potential to both enhance and complicate our lives. Read what Susan and Victoria have to say on the subject, as well.
to all the devices I’ve loved before…
As much as I love technology (my iPhone! my Kindle! my iPad! OMG my new 11-inch MacBook Air laptop! ♥♥♥), what it amounts to many times is a lot of extra noise and distraction inside my head.
I was thinking about this recently as I did some not-so-light summer reading. The author was talking about POWs and people imprisoned in concentration camps and other truly awful situations, who managed to survive both physically and mentally with nothing to engage them outside of their own minds. Given my attachment to my iPhone and all things internet, I wondered how I would cope in this kind of situation.
Honestly, I know more than a few people who might not be able to survive in solitary confinement without their smart phones. Could I be one of those people?
I certainly don’t want to be. So to restore balance to my life, I’ve committed to the following summer resolutions.
I resolve to:
- Establish boundaries for my time. Just because I can read a work email at 3:00 am, that doesn’t mean I should…
- Before going online to get the answer to whatever questions come up during my day, I’m going to Google my own brain. Turns out there’s a lot of useful info stored up there; I just need to access it. Also (this is exciting) I can Google other people’s brains too! #ItsCalledConversation
- Make a conscious effort to deepen my real life friendships and relationships. For me this means more in-person time with my very favorite people (including my husband and children–um, hi guys! didn’t see you there while I was checking my text messages…) and even taking vacation time to visit old friends and get to know new ones better.
- Just be. Resist the urge to look to my computer or phone for stimulation every time there’s a lull in the pace of my life. Instead, look around at whatever part of the world I happen to be in and truly see, appreciate, and be a part of what’s going on around me. #HarderThanItSounds #TotallyWorthIt
What steps have you taken to control technology in your life?
© Jaime Greenberg and Sunflower Creative Arts, 2011
Photo © Jaime Greenberg 2011
I think you hit the nail on the head (and I laughed at the hashtag on “its called conversation” – so ridiculously true!!!)
I love your resolutions! Especially googling your own and other people’s brains.
What a concept!
I think about my grandfather sitting with me on the back steps overlooking his wildflower garden, just being with me, listening to me. It didn’t happen all that often but he was one of the few people ever to give me that kind of simple focus. Those brief moments were so important to me, to my sense of worth. He was an encyclopedia of worldly information, life experience and told fantastic stories. I sure wish he was here now so I could google him… and just be.