Modern Technology, Its Gifts and What It Robs From Us.

Recently I read a few articles that say, 2014 will be a year when people start to take back some of the things technology has taken from us.  Mostly, social interaction in the here and now.  People have discovered that some things in our lives have gone a bit off balance with all the gadgets we have in our hands.   I feel that way too.  There are days when I feel like my iPhone is some sort of extension of me.   Feeling slightly panicked if I leave the house without it, as if I can no longer function properly without it.   There have been more than a few evenings when Emery and I are sitting right next to each other on the couch, me with my phone in my hand, checking my Facebook page and right next to me, Emery is checking his Facebook page.  Two people interacting with their cyber life.  That's not bad in itself, but it is kinda sad that we have allowed even a minute to be stolen like that.
Personally, I want to set some guidelines for myself in phone and computer use, the problem is, every time I say that, I get a text and my good intentions fly out the door.  There are days when I think, "oh, just dump the smart phone and get JUST a phone."  Then I remember how nice it is to have GPS on my phone, how wonderful it is to snap pictures in the store of something that one of the girls might like,  Just text them the picture and know if it is or not.  But, what I don't like, is when you are standing in line, checking out and the phone rings, I don't want to answer it, but then...what if its an emergency !   I do have a diabetic daughter and a grand-daughter with lots of health issues !  The conflict is there, its real.  I really don't like it when you are out to eat or visiting with friends and they are chatting with someone on the phone, its wrong.   There is a great video on YouTube that says it all, far better than my words.
I Forgot My Phone   This little video has struck a cord with many people, it has over 38 million hits in the 5 months it has been out.   We get it, but we just are not sure how to fix it.   I know that many minutes in my day are wasted checking mail, checking Facebook, and just being sure I might miss something if I don't.  I am 100% certain there are lots of folks out there that are not as tied to technological apron strings as I am.   I applaud you !  I am hooked.  Not a day goes by that I don't thank God that this stuff was developled AFTER my family was grown.  I fear I may have missed a lot if it was around many years ago.   Confession is good for the soul they say, so here goes....I take my phone to bed with me, lay it on the window sil and if by chance I get up in the middle of the night, I grab my phone and take it with me, and yes, I check my Facebook page while doing what needs to be done.  First I took the phone with me, using it as a "night light" but that progressed to checking messages pretty quick.   I live much of my life living like they did a hundred years ago, making my soap, cooking from scratch, hanging clothes, raising our own food, spinning my wool, sewing my clothes, and making a stand to live a simple life, except when it comes to the computer and my phone. ... sigh.   If 2014 is the year that the marketing world has assessed to be the year that people seek to strike a healthy balance in the use of all this technology, well, then this is the year for me to also.  I have been feeling the conflict within me.   I don't like being a slave to any gadget.   Finding balance sounds good to me.   There are some good suggestions on just how to achieve a sort of balance in this article  

Life Beyond a Screen: Striking a Tech-Life Balance