Blog on Keeping Technology from Taking You Over

In a recent blog posted by Lori Deschene called, "7 Tips to Keep Techology from taking over your life" @ http://bit.ly/9IpDCN (posted on twitter by Web20@classroom), several tips are given for ways to keep technology under control. Below are some of the tips she gave that I really wanted to share with you bloggers:


1. "Make deliberate choices about time." Lori gives the example of email and that instead of spending hours and hours answering tons of emails that people send you, focus on the really impotant ones. Sometimes it can take so much time to respond to all the emails that are sent to us. We should make smart choices in regards to the time we spend with this type of technology as it tends to consume alot of our time if we are not careful. She goes on to mention that we get a surge of pleasure in our brain when we see we have new messages in our inbox. Instead of resorting to this type of pleasure we should do other things to enjoy life.

2. "Box out time to put technology away." We should always space out time for other things besides technology, whether it be fun outdoor activites or simply choosing some other form of entertainment.

3. "Remember: the most precious thing you can give someone is your presence."
Developing actual relationships can never be replaced with bloggins, facebooking, tweeting, or any other form of online communication. Real one on one contact just seems better in all forms. I really agree with this statement. While I do think alot of these online communcation tools are really positive, I do think balance is very important in life.

4. "Be mindful of your reasons for connecting to technology." We should be aware of why we are using certain programs. Is it for "stimulation, confirmation, connection, to avoid anxiety, excape, etc"

5. "Get the most important things done and let go of the rest." She argues that its ok to leave some pieces of technology alone at the end of the day, to leave emails in the inbox, etc. We don't have to fee anxiety over finishing certain activities online, as there are more important things to do.

6. "Make minimal commitments to yourself for a clear mental space." Lori suggests setting specific days/times to be involved with technology. In my opinion, we should not feel like we are enslaved to it but rather its purpose is to supplement our lives, not overtake our daily actions.

7. "Track your day’s presence in battery life." She explains that if you charge your computer,cell phone, etc multiple times a day this may be a sign that you spend way to much time with technology. Everything in moderation is the key, and we have to become aware of hour much time we are devoting to our daily activies in order to keep this balance.

In conclusion, I agree with alot of what Lori says. My only concern is that many people depend on technology, especially internet related items for their jobs, home life, all storage, entertainment, etc. I wonder if it is 100% possible to designate certain days/times to technology at this age in time. It seems like we as a culture are always on the move, and the integration of technology goes everywhere with us. I leave you with the following question:
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE CELL PHONE AND INTERNET WERE TAKING AWAY FROM US NOW? IT ALMOST SEEMS CAVELIKE TO IMAGINE, but it was only a short time ago that the cell phone and computer were only things that the government and elites were using...what do you think?