And it's Tuesday, y'all, so make sure you go on over and see what Michelle has to say when you're through here.
Today's question:
"How dependent are you on technology; i.e. cable television, internet, cell phones, etc? Are you okay with your answer or do you want to become more/less dependent?"
Here goes y'all:
Hello. My name is Danielle and I'm addicted to technology.
The first step is admitting you have a problem. But...is it a problem?
Here is a short list of things I do with technology on a regular basis:
- Shopping. I do loads of shopping online. I know where most of the free shipping deals are and I know that sometimes paying the shipping is still cheaper than buying from a store.
- Research. I research EVERYTHING I do. Crochet. Scrapbooking. Gardening. Parenting. Things I buy. Things I'm in the market for. Houses. Cars. Everything.
- Social networking. Of course. This is a big one for me not because I love drama and having fake friends, but because it has connected me with so very many people that I wouldn't otherwise be connected with. I love that part of it. We can all keep up with one another's public lives on our own terms in our own time. I do still talk to my friends and see them (although not as much as I'd like), but social networking is great for keeping us connected during those busy times in life where picking up the phone is difficult.
- Blogging. I LOVE blogging. I print my blogs out and make books out of them. I have my entire pregnancy blog made into a book. It's a great way to journal and preserve memories for yourself and your children. And remember: IT'S NEVER TOO LATE. Who cares if no one reads?!? I'll make you all a deal. If you start a blog I'll diligently read it whenever you write.
- To process photos. I use Picasa to edit and Snapfish/Walgreens to print. I use Postal Pix to get my Instagram photos printed.
With all that being said, I still know how to do things without technology. I know how to use a pay phone (or how to ask some unsuspecting kind stranger if I can use his cell phone..."I promise I won't call China."), I know how to do math on paper, I know how to write on paper and I still actually ENJOY that. I KNOW how to do those things. But, as it turns out, those things are very inconvenient compared to today's modern...um...conveniences. (I think I just did that thing that is a no no where you use the word itself to define a word. Oops.)
INTERNET - too dependent to EVER quit
I think my addiction to the internet happened when I started using it to research things. This is a big one now because I am usually strapped for time. Okay, probably not as strapped as I think, but strapped because I'd rather spend my time doing things I LIKE instead of going to 9 different stores looking for a piece of furniture. I'd instead like to think of what I want, visit several furniture store websites, decide if they have what I'm looking for in my price range and THEN go visit 3 stores instead of 9. I can research something small like this in around 30 minutes. I'd spend triple that plus gas for the car if I were to visit all those stores.
This method not only saves me time, but it usually saves me money. I have planted tomato and pepper plants in pots on my back patio for several years. This year I decided that I wanted to plant a small in-the-ground vegetable garden. Instead of going to Lowe's, buying a prefab raised garden bed, filling it with expensive soil only to do everything wrong and waste lots of money on wood and dirt and plants, I decided that I wanted to plant things, did research on the cheapest way to build it, the cheapest way to fill it with nutrient-rich soil, the best layout to utilize my small space and exactly how to plant things in there. And now I've invested a total of $94.00 in a vegetable garden that will grow enough veggies until fall. A decent prefab garden bed is about $75.00 alone. That doesn't include soil to fill it or the plants. I consider this a success.
So there you have it. I am a research freak and I use the internet for about 98% of that research. Without the internet, would I be able to exist and still research things? You bet. I know where the library is and I even know how to use it. I know where to buy things and how to compare prices and methods "by hand." I much prefer doing internet research, but I CAN do it the other way too.
CELL PHONE - more dependent than I should be
My huge addiction to cell phone technology happened a little over a year ago with my introduction to the iPhone. I never thought I'd be able to do everything that I do on a computer with my phone. And I can. There are some amazing apps out there that allow me to do everything I do at my desktop/laptop computer on my iPhone. I'll have carpal tunnel syndrome before you know it!!
We no longer have a landline phone. Chris has an iPhone. I have an iPhone. That's it. And don't give me that "But what if blah blah happens and you can't use your cell phone?" hooey. Seriously people. I could just as easily make the argument that something could happen to your landline phone and if you don't have a cell phone you're screwed. Let's not have that back and forth.
I am way more accessible on a cell phone than I would be on a landline anyway. What if my cell phone rings and I can't answer it? That, my friends, is what voicemail is for. :)
Health risks? What health risks? I have as much chance of having a health problem from eating store bought vegetables treated with pesticide as I do with cell phone use. I won't live my life that way. Sorry.
I DO still adhere to general cell phone etiquette. There aren't many things that piss me off more than someone trying to talk on a cell phone while they're checking out at a store. If I talk on my phone at a store, I make sure that I'm not a "loud talker," I make sure I'm out of people's way, and I DON'T TALK WHILE I'M WITH A CASHIER. Hell, I don't even talk on my cell phone while I'm at a U-Scan. It's just rude in my opinion. I also rarely talk on my phone at restaurants. Sometimes a conversation can just wait.
CABLE TELEVISION - not dependent at all
As most of you probably know, we cut the cord on our cable about 3 months ago. We do not pay a cable bill anymore. That saves us a total of $86.31 per month.
I plan on writing an entire post tomorrow or Thursday dedicated to cable television and my quest to dump it. It's a topic that is near and dear to my heart. So, be prepared within the next couple of days to find out how you ALL can spend as little as $200.00 up front and as little as $8.00 per month to watch 95% of all the television you watch now. Seriously. I mean it.
Even though we aren't at all dependent on cable television, we use internet access and a wireless network to watch television programs. It's a toss up, but my way saves us enough money per month to pay our car insurance.
Am I okay with all of this? HELL YES. I am okay with how dependent I am upon technology. I still plan to teach Jayna "long hand." She'll know how to use a real phone. She'll know how to look things up in books. She'll know how to do math without a calculator. But it is important ESPECIALLY FOR HER that she learn about technology and how it can benefit and/or hurt her. These things aren't going anywhere anytime soon and as we all know...if you can't beat 'em, you may as well join 'em. :)
We have an iPad and that is Jayna's main interaction with technology. Don't let that fool you though. She isn't JUST playing games on there. She listens to music. She looks at the pictures I take. She has more education apps than she does playing apps. She gets some honing of her fine motor skills and all the while we're getting her acquainted with the sort of technology that she'll need to be acquainted with. These skills will be more important for her than they'll ever be for me.
Jayna "coloring" on the iPad. She's better at it than I am. :)
How about you? Are you dependent upon technology? Too much? Not enough? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Now, head on over to After 9 and Some Weekends to read about Michelle's habits!!
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