This Side of the Creek

I have a Blackberry. In fact, I have two. One is my personal phone and the other is provided by my company. Some days I feel like I’d be lost without either one on hand regardless of whether or not I get a single call, text or e-mail. Other days, I’m so tired of seeing the red light flashing to signify a new message and I’ll leave my phone(s) in my purse.

Having a BB is nice, but there’s a downside to being available to people 24/7. For one, I get easily distracted when I hear a ding or when, as I said above, I see the red light flashing. I even get keyed up at times because I feel as if I have so much to do and I don’t want to neglect those trying to contact me so I will check my phone. After awhile, I think it just became habit to  check my phone even when there are no new messages.

I remember growing up in a time when cell phones were scarce. Only a few of my friends’ parents had one to keep in the glove box in case of an emergency and as you may recall, those cell phones were as big as the glovebox itself. In my family, a cell phone didn’t enter the picture until we were all grown and could afford our own, but even then they were used in emergencies only.

Cell phone usage grew and the lowered prices of regular desktop computers enabled more families to begin purchasing what were once considered the technologies of rich people (at least in my view). I was a sophomore in college (2003) before I owned my first computer and let me tell you, when my sister Candice and I opened that box on Christmas morning, it was an amazing feeling… as if we had struck gold. Suddenly we’d be cast into the modern era and able to catch up with our peers who, by that point, were using computers for everything.

Like I said, however, there’s also a downside to these wonderful technological advances. I can truly see what my mom was complaining about when the whole family was sitting around on Christmas texting friends and sending emails. Ha, my mom texts me regularly so we apparently had an influence. Yet, it’s not the same as hearing her voice over the phone or visiting with her in person. Technology strips us of such face-to-face interactions.

Children are becoming primary users of cell phones, but what happened to good ol' play time?

Don’t get me wrong, I love cell phones, the Internet, Bluetooth headsets… the whole bit, but I also love being able to relax without interruption, do homework without the phone ringing, delve into a book for the information I need. I’m not saying I’ll toss my BB Curves to the curb and go back to only a home phone (especially since I live with six other people), however, I’m considering scheduling one day each week where I use only the technology necessary to perform my job at The Times-Gazette or to complete an assignment that relies only on the Internet.

I’m overstimulated by technology and I want to reconnect with the human side of life. I want to hear the voices of those with whom I’m interacting once in awhile. I want to send less E-cards and more homemade cards. I want to sit down with a pen and notepad to write to my friends who live afar (or to write in my journal once in awhile rather than on my blog).

If you’re feeling overstimulated, I encourage you, too, to try turning off the cell phone or not checking your e-mail for a day (or part of a day). I’ll join you in the challenge and will be anxious to hear the pros and cons.