Last week I wrote a blog about working balance into my life for 2011. This was not a hasty goal but one I have been reflecting on for many months now. It seems as though the more gadgets I get, everything from my iPhone, to my iTouch, to my iPad, to my laptop, to my GPS, even my Garmin Forerunner for running, the more I am tethered to a source of technology. And in doing so the more isolated I have become. Instead of picking up the phone, I can send a text or email which isn't always met with the response I expect as the written word doesn't always carry the intonation I had intended, but it is convenient. A few weeks ago my husband and I were having a nice dinner at a family style restaurant when we saw a family of five sitting at a table. I assume it was Mom, Dad and their three kids. The Mom was sitting quietly looking around sipping on her tea, while the Dad spent his time looking at his cell phone, and all the kids were texting or playing games on their cell phones. What I didn't see was a family conversing and experiencing a meal as a family, well at least not the way I envision families spending a meal together. The technology jab didn't stop there. Last month when I was running the Las Vegas Rock N Roll Half-Marathon/Marathon, I was running by a young lady whom I believed was trying to talk to me. In my silly way I tried to ask her what she was saying, but I never got a response. I kept talking louder and still no response, and that was when I realized she wasn't talking to me, she was talking on her cell phone in the middle of a race. Even friends who work in offices have told me that it is far easier to send an email or an instant message to their co-workers than it is to get up from their desk to converse about an issue. Once again keeping that isolation going. I grew up in the pre-cable world of television--in fact our first television was a small black and white, set that sat on a stand that took up less than four feet of space. And get this, for many years we only had one set for the entire family. According to a 2006 study the average household has more televisions than there are family members and the Howards are right with them. For the two of us we have three TVs. When I was in high school I remember when the Sony Walkman was gadget of the day for those wanting to listen to music in private. They were so big that you had to carry them or wear them on your waistband. Now I have an iPod Nano that is the size of a large postage stamp that allows me to not only to listen to all my favorite tunes, but I can get radio as well. And let's not begin to talk about our first computer my husband and I owned way back in 1983. That year we became the proud owners of the IBM PC, Jr. Smart phones today can do a million more things than the Jr, but it was just the beginning of things to come in the world of technology. Today we now own two desk-tops, two laptops, an iPad, and one notebook for two of us! In a few months I will be turning 50 and maybe there is a need for me to look back on my life with a little nostalgia. Times when TV was less important than going outside and playing with your friends. When going to the swimming pool and riding our bikes were activities that we had no clue at the time were actually keeping us healthy and fit, but we considered fun. When we were required to be home for dinner as a family and share our day's happenings. When getting a phone in your room as a teenage meant you were developing true independence, or so you thought. Don't get me wrong, I am all for technology, after all it allows me to work out of my home and converse via the written word with hundreds of people around the world every day. I love being able to go for a run and listen to my favorite tunes without carrying an extra pound or two of equipment with me. I love knowing that I have a way to get in contact with my husband or the police if something were to happen on my runs. I love knowing that my daughter can contact me anytime she needs something. There is a sense of peace knowing that I am not cut off from the world regardless of whether I am on a run or in the grocery store. But I do wonder how all this technology has changed the way we converse and interact with the world around us. This is why I have decided that I must set a goal to limit my time on the computer and phone. I am joining a Pilates and strength training class just so that I can have daily interaction with people. I hope to get a group of friends to run/walk with me on Saturday or Sunday mornings. I even plan on doing some volunteer work for my local run club and other charities so that I have that people interaction. After all, isn't that what life is all about-- being and interacting with others. Gadgets can't give love, hugs and affirmations, but people can and do. And for that reason, I am going to use this time to break free of Tweeting, and limit my time Facebooking so if you do not get a response, I am not ignoring you, I am just out living my life. Do you feel tethered to technology? What are some steps you have taken to break free? |
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