filed in Daily Life
Push and Pull of Technology
Taking the dog for a walk, I leave technology at home
From Friday night to Saturday night, I avoid email
While crossing the street, I don’t look down at my phone
First act of the morning (after saying thanks for another day) is checking my iPad
Last act of the evening while brushing my teeth is one last glance online
what’s your push/pull?
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10 comments for “Push and Pull of Technology”
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I am fortunate to be able to respond (briefly) to personal email while I am at work.
My home computer is a laptop, put away on a shelf, which I use about once a month to do my personal paperwork.
Occasionally I use my iPod Touch to get email in the evenings, if I feel like it, or to look up a something online.
Mostly I just make a note to look up what I need to know the next day at work (I’ll do it during lunch).
Weekends, I am offline. I have neither a Facebook nor Twitter account.
Wow, Kathy. That’s impressive.
Wendy, I hope I didn’t come across as uppity. To clarify, my limitations are self-imposed and currently work for me right now. I know if I had a tablet I would be on it all the time – being very curious, I don’t think I would ever put the damn thing down.
It didn’t sound uppity at all. I happen to be a technology hound, who enjoys absorbing lots of media, so me and my iPhone/ipad are fairly joined at the hip.
I am starting to make a concerted effort to get away from a lot of screen time. Granted, I need to use a computer a lot for work. But it’s the “entertainment” or free time that I spend on the Internet that I’ll be cutting back on (though I consider blogging to be exempt from this).
Every morning, I used to get my smart phone, feed the cat, go back to bed and read the NYTimes for 30 minutes, then get up and get ready for the day. But for the past 10 days or so, I have been getting up, feeding the cat, and meditating first. I do not allow myself any screen time without having meditated first. And I think I’m less likely to be antsy for the rest of the day.
What a great instinct. I reach right for my iPad, first thing in the morning.
Wendy, in my previous comment I meant to say that I think it’s lovely you don’t use a digital device while walking your dog. At the risk of sounding new-agey, I think it’s such an lovely time to spend interacting with such a wonderful animal, trying to understand how they see the world. Technology would simply get in the way.
When I see neighbors walking their dogs never looking up from their phones, I just don’t get it. They’re missing out.
I don’t walk my pets as I have to house cats…but they DO remind me when I’m spending too long on my iPhone or laptop. They jump into my lap and nudge my hand that’s holding the iPhone. After a few nudges I get the point and put the phone down and love on them! I love my pets so much…they deserve my undivided attention…not Candy Crush!
I have a friend who has a couple of young children, and they, too, remind him when he’s spending too much time on his phone by similarly nudging him.