The World Is All Around You, Not online

Technology is useful servant but dangerous master ~ Christian Lange

Our 21st century world is speeding along to a point where our achievement of putting a man on the moon nearly 50 years ago almost seems quaint. Greater technology has brought about greater access to pretty much everything. On a larger scale, you could run a million-dollar business in your pajamas (if you really wanted to). On a smaller scale, we can leverage technology to control pacemakers, monitor security systems and check the latest Twitter post while you’re sitting on the commode.

                While that sounds wonderful, we have to admit that technology has speed things up to the point where we may be missing a few things. How we use and control technology around us can have a direct bearing on how much we can partake in the simple pleasures of human interaction. When is the last time you were on a date, enjoying your child’s concert, at work, or doing most anything when you didn’t glance down at your phone or tablet for one reason or another?

                The point is, technology does have its double edges, with people on both ends of the spectrum. Extremists may think social media is evil, regardless of the convenience it can bring, or constantly check it in whether they’re driving or doing almost anything else, living in a state of constant buzz and possibly missing many of the things around us. Somewhere in the middle, we make our choices, and it seems that maintaining a healthy balance between Technology and simply Living Life has become a daily challenge.

                Defining boundaries can allow us to enjoy the advantages technology offers us while still blocking time to spend quality time with the family without constantly checking the email. Technology can offer us many things, but it cannot alone build interpersonal relationships or help guide us through the latest personal crises. Everyone makes their own choices, but we need to be careful not to replace the human touch with an electronic one.

                So while the internet, technology, the latest apps are all weaved permanently into our lives, it’s important to not let it swallow us up whole. A healthy Life/Work/Technology balance should be considered and practiced as often as we can.

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. ~ Ferris Bueller