The Technology Diet

My sister Beth wrote about her frustrations with her friends not contacting her or talking to her over the summer, despite all their tech devices and texting etc. For those who don't realize the importance of interpersonal communication, the fact that they may be ignoring close friends may go unrecognized. Her topic struck a chord with me too.

Technology is awesome. It allows us to do fun things, convenient things, quick things.. it allows us to know anything in a snap, and to make our jobs or professions much easier. I for example, use instant messenger every day at work because it's extremely efficient. I also use it to chat, talk or video with family for free without using up cell phone minutes. My husband has an ipod touch which has all kinds of useful applications: ones that make tracking music easier, ones that make it easier to watch for space stations in orbit.. mostly useful things, and some useless things, because Apple can.. and they think they're clever.

BUT.. technology has it's drawbacks, which I will point out in the specific example of losing precious interpersonal communication time. There is a point where being so connected to the world, and so connected to everyone else in the world being so connected to the world.. where people sitting right next to you feel disconnected and sidelined, to the "new best friend" of ipods, cell phone texting, facebook, online chatting, forums, video gaming and the complete endlessness of the internets. These things aren't bad.. but for an increasing amount of people in this decade, they should be moderated.

I was home a few weeks ago, for a family barbecue for the 4th of July.. and there was an entire "conversation" where participants were using their devices to search for data rather than looking at and talking to each other's faces. I have to add that the sight of someone looking into their device is much less welcoming than someone not doing so. Ever notice how annoying sales people won't come up to you while you're on your cell phone? (okay that's actually an advantage.. everyone wants to avoid salespeople) but not everyone wants to feel avoided by glowing screens stealing good company. Sometimes I miss my husband in the evenings when he's computing and ipodding. During a movie, pre-ipod, more often we would be laying together looking only at the movie screen (or me at my eyelids).

I've also decided that I am not going to enforce hand-held video gaming with my kids. I see kids at church with their necks bent, focusing on their screens and bleeps and bloops. There's a time and place for video games.. and it isn't everywhere and all the time. I mean, when I was a kid we had non portable video games, and I knew even then that having outside play time was important (and especially fun to physically perform video games in real time, ha).

Anyway.. I think we need to start enforcing a technology diet for ourselves ("we" being a society, and also personally). I'm beginning to not have enough non technology time. My entire work day is packed with looking at screens and getting carpal tunnel by typing "changes made" "changes made." When I get home I don't really want to see it. I want to go for a walk or go biking or play board games or have an in-depth conversation. We made some progress last week when Jon and I played Indiana Jones Life, followed by him teaching me how to play Battle Tech, which seriously was very engaging and entertaining for me.

A second "Anyway.." ..I hope I haven't offended anyone who's just in love with all their devices.. and I hope I haven't offended my husband by insinuating that he could use less time with his... or that I could use him with less time with his. (oh, the grammar of that). But I think a technology diet would do us all a lot of good.