It seems, as technology improves we find ways to make our daily activities a little 'easier.' But are helping or hindering ourselves? I hold nothing against technology. I own way too many technological devices to think otherwise. But when you watch movies about 'the old days' or read a book and see how a family had to actually talk to each other or play games for entertainment. They read and walked a lot.
Now all we have to do is fill out a FB status and instantly 300 people now know what you're doing. You can pull out your laptop and play a game or surf the internet. You can stick those white headphones in your ears and tune out the world.
Sometimes I wonder if I tie myself down too much with it all. The reason behind this post? I caved. It seemed like everyone in my family (cousins, aunts, uncles, brother) all had one. They were cool and I felt a little left out. So I spend an absolute fortune and bought myself an ipod touch with a 2 year protection plan. Which leaves me to think. What if I were to unplug it all? I mean ALL of it? And go a day, or two, or three without using it unless it was absolutely necessary (the only exception being a phone but even limiting that to phone calls only of important nature).
The iPod mini, iPod classic and new iPod touch, all put away. The laptop shut down. The tv and cable unplugged rendering the dvd player, Wii, GameCube and Playstation useless. No texting. No tweeting. No blogging, gaming or watching. Just being. Living. Experiencing things without the wall of wires, signals and machines between me and the world. But alas, I sit here on my laptop with my iPod next to me, and about to go watch the news on TV.
What would be the hardest piece of technology to go without?
I've thought about going technology free, but like you said, it makes things easier. And I struggle with giving up the convenience.
ReplyDeleteI have lost my phone for days, not used my computer for weeks, and I hardly watch tv, so I wouldn't have any trouble giving up a single thing... but I'm so out of touch with reading, nature, and board games... I'd probably struggle with not having the option of technology more than anything.
My laptop would be real hard for me to give up, even if only for a few days. Ideas and sentences for the book(s) I'm working on keep flitting by me, and I'd hate to lose them (I don't do very well with keeping track of them when I make a note of them on paper). And I'm hooked on blogging, too :).
ReplyDeleteTo go away by myself for a couple of days into the wilderness (but in a nice cabin -- no roughing it for me :)), with just books for company -- ahh that would be a dream!
Heather, I agree the option of it being there and using it is a big part I think of why it would be hard to give up. Often when we are told we can't do something is the exact moment we want to do it more.
ReplyDeleteHema, as a writer I could see how a laptop would be hard to give up. It would be hard to revert to pen and paper or even a typewriter when laptops can have programs that aide you in the writing process. Just books for company though, would be amazing, but only for a few days.