Have you ever felt like you’re trapped by technology?
Recently, delightful blogger Pip Lincoln from Meet Me At Mikes invited other bloggers to join her in writing about life plugged vs unplugged (inspired by a blog post she read), and the impact it has on your life. Given that I’ve been pretty well unplugged for more than 2 months now, it seemed like a good topic to begin plugging back in. Not that I was totally unplugged, I still used email, my mobile phone (which is actually a bit old and only used for messaging and calls) and surfed online a bit. And of course I was online at work, but that’s unavoidable. Mostly I kept away from all things social media. I loved it! That’s not to say I didn’t miss some aspects of it, like keeping up with friends far away.
I think it’s good to take a break, or at least place some limits on yourself when it comes to being plugged in. There’s so much information out there, and sometimes it’s just too much. How many people reach for their phone the moment they wake up? How often do we forget to enjoy the moment, distracted by notifications of a new text, email, tweet, Facebook post? How many of us go to a cafe with friends and have our phones on the table and end up spending more time on that than talking to the people we’re with? How many of us ever leave the house without our phone?
It’s actually one of the reasons I’m reluctant to upgrade my phone. But on the other hand I’d really like to be able to use Instagram on a device that has a good camera. At the moment I only have it on my tablet (phone can’t run it), which is a bit of a pain because the camera on it isn’t good. So I have to take a photo, download it to my laptop, transfer it to Google Drive and then post it to Instagram. First world problem I know, but it’s still annoying.
So I supposed in the end, while I love being unplugged there are certainly benefits to being plugged in, it’s just a matter of keeping a balance. I try to keep off electronic devices in the evening, and plan to limit my time on social media (Facebook, Instagram etc). While I most likely will upgrade my phone soon, I won’t be getting roaming data and will keep the apps to a minimum. However those text notifications you get from the vet/dentist/doctor about upcoming appointments are great! And having access to so much information at your fingertips is quite irresistible. Why yes, I have always wanted to know [insert trivia question here], just let me look that up …
How do you feel about the impact technology has had on your life?
Oddly, I rarely use my phone as a phone anymore! I must take or make less than 5 calls a week. I text and e mail from it and I mainly use it as a camera. I do always have it with me, mainly to get the photo if one presents itself.
I do firmly believe that we need to stop taking so many photos of every darn thing and maybe just stand and observe for a few minutes. We seem to feel the need to record everything nowadays. I always think it is sad to see parents endlessly taking photos of their kids rather than playing with them.
Great post, I think this is the first time I have visited and I shall be back!
I agree Clare, some people seem more focused on documenting an experience to share online rather than participate in it. If I’m honest about my phone, it’s main use is as a clock. I’d be lucky to send half a dozen texts and take or make one call in a week!