As the semester continues to pick up steam and work on assignments or studying for mid-terms consumes more and more of my time, I like to take time for myself. I use this time to unwind and, for a short moment, pretend that I have not a care in the world. The recent addition of a smart phone (Android, not Blackberry… PTL) to my arsenal of technology has made my life more convenient but at the same time increasingly more complex. Never before have I had so much to check, look at, or be involved in.
Photo by: Augapfel
It wasn’t too long ago (about 3 months) that I only possessed a flip phone with its only features being texting and phonecalls. I would often leave it at home when I went out, or if its battery was dead, I wouldn’t charge it for a week or so. My reasoning? If someone really had something important to say to me, they would call, text, or email and if something REALLY important happened, I would find out eventually.
With my new phone, I am connected 24/7. Connected to work and to school, but also to news, family, friends, sports, entertainment (and the list goes on). If someone tweets, emails, comments, or posts anything to me, the assumption is that I will have seen or read and will respond shortly. I had one situation where a person actually emailed to ask if he had done something to offend me (which he hadn’t… I just hadn’t checked my phone yet).
Photo by: David Schmidt - http://www.LastMountainPhotography.com
All I’m trying to say is that while this new technology is amazing and wonderful, there is still nothing as presious as getting lost in a good book, or walking in a park hearing nothing but birds and the rustle of leaves. There are now two worlds on this earth. One that is digital (that exists on monitors, phones, and T.V screens while floating somewhere unseen through the air or cable) and one that is real and natural. I think to be a functioning person in today’s society requires a working knowledge of both. Like most things in life, balance is the key.
Just my two cents for this morning 🙂
D.
The Gneighbourly Gnome 