As I have been telling my husband lately, I feel very overconnected. In fact if I were any more connected to the digital world, I'd have a neural implant in my brain that has 3G and wifi. Since I got my new iPad a month ago, it's almost ridiculous how much I use it. I'm not sure if it's been a blessing or more of a curse. Then there's my Blackberry which will buzz or ring in concert with my iPad when I get a new email or someone has posted something on my Facebook wall...or even if they've just posted something that remotely relates to me.
As if all this weren't enough, there's texting and now my parents and I have started Skyping now that they're in Finland. I can't deny how totally awesome it was to video chat with my parents and have my kids be able to see them. I even got to see part of their new apartment there. And being hyperconnected definitely came in handy on my recent trip to California driving between my aunt's house and my brother's house in different cities (see the only 2 pics I took below).
But there are some major drawbacks too. It's overwhelming to have so much information constantly at one's fingertips and the constant flow of communication... *ding* a new email, *ding* someone friended me on Facebook, *ding* there's an upgrade for one of my iPad apps, *ding* Kent texts me "Heading home" (my favorite ding of the day!). So... I have decided to downgrade my tech...a little. I'm going back to my old unsmartphone where I get those old fashioned things called phone calls and that's about it...ok, maybe some texting too. And I've been reluctantly turning off my iPad throughout the day so I can deal with the equally overwhelming input from the 4 little people in my life whose alerts are accompanied with cries instead of dings. Ah, the challenges of the 21st century life.
Photos: Drove to Capitola, CA in my brother's convertible Jaguar. Great vacation!
4 comments:
RIGHT ON KIMMY! That is sooooo true! I had a Droid phone for a week, which I bought in Portland, after seeing how awesome (literal! not just a word!) Ben's phone was. Later I discovered that I could not get reception in my particular home apartment - something about the config of the buildings - and I had to go back to my old NOT wi-fi Blackberry. Suddenly my life became more peaceful. I found downgrading an unexpected blessing. If I absolutely MUST connect away from home, I'm usually with someone who can let me do it from their gadget.
I feel what you are saying. Don't have an Ipad but have a laptop that goes anywhere in the house with Internet. I don't have a 'cool' cell phone with Internet yet so I am good with what I have. I went a whole afternoon without the cell phone while I was doing errands it was nice not to be
'connected'.. I loved reading an article out of the good old fashioned copy of the Ensign this morning!
I hear you. Sometimes it's hard to turn off technology and engage in REAL life. REAL life is so much more messy. and poopy.
Darling Kim, this note is apropos of nothing, and so you ought to delete it once read.
I LOVE your family picture at the top. this morning I found myself putting imaginary thought balloons above each head, and filling each with the thought that person is having -- judging by the expression on their faces. Try it!
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