Have you ever spent several hundred dollars (or several thousand dollars) on new technology having partaken in the sweet Kool-Aid of belief that this new technology will save you time, energy, money, and stress only to realize later that the technology ends up costing you more time, energy, money and stress than you ever realized you were silly enough to relinquish? Yeah… me neither. :) And even if our answer is a resounding “yes,” it merely brings us more pain to admit it.
Forgive me. My purpose in writing this is not to bring you (or me) more pain. But I would like to pose some thoughts on balancing the natural demands technologies place upon us and our families and the (supposed and realized) benefits they provide.
I will admit up front that I am a connoisseur of technology and often find “tech geek” an endearing term. That being said, I still do not enjoy finding myself becoming a slave to the technology that I love. "But EdTechSpy," you ask, "how do I escape the bonds of technoliciousness?" Glad you asked! I am going to make this simple knowing the potential I have for actually oversimplifying this broad and complex subject.
#1 – When choosing whether to partake of the fruits of a new technology, ask yourself this question: What do I really want to accomplish? This will help you get to the core reason you’re forking over $900 for an iPad… to play hours and hours of Angry Birds. However, if what you want to accomplish with that new iPad is to give presentations, easily answer email and research topics during your normal long commute, and connect with your kids through video chat while you’re away, you might have good justification. As a side note, beware of your internal voice that longs to justify irrationality. We all do it. We really want to buy that iPad for Angry Birds but we make up justifiable reasons for the iPad other than Angry birds such as giving presentations, that long commute, or connecting with loved ones… you get the idea. Just be honest with yourself.
#2 – The second question to ask yourself when choosing whether to partake of the fruits of a new technology is similar to the first question, but instead of asking “what” you are now asking yourself “why.” Why do I want this? If you can honestly answer why you want a new technology, you’ll be closer to knowing whether you’re making the right decision. You may say, “I want the new iPad because I like showing off expensive wares,” and that could be compelling enough for you to proceed. If that’s the answer to your why and you’re still okay with that, then more power to you! Strut your techno stuff (I suppose)! For others, however, this may be a reminder that it’s time to lay off the Kool-Aid.
There’s so much more one could say on this topic, but I’ll leave that for future posts. What are your thoughts on technology? Do you think we own technology or it owns us?
I am guilty as charged. I have partaken of the Kool-Aid on an occasion or two in the past. I have learned through the years to discriminate with my purchases and limit them to those that I will truly get the worth out that I am putting into the price. Your advice speaks volumes and should be received with a resounding “Amen” from many. I feel that anytime we honestly ask ourselves questions about our motivation for purchases we can only gain from the occasion. Honesty is the best policy, and it prevents unnecessary hardships.
ReplyDeleteI feel that technology does own some people and is owned by others. If it creates problems in one’s life or takes time or money that person cannot afford, then the person is owned. If technology makes one’s life easier, gives them more time to spend on other things, and doesn’t put them over budget, I would say that person owns technology. Thanks for the insightful post.
@Cecelia
ReplyDeleteI think even things that fit your criteria for being owned by the owner (instead of vice versa) can still end up owning us. It seems that everything we own, big or small, seems to take some time or energy from us.
In the end, it's probably a little of both. For example, my car may be paid-in-full, and it certainly saves me time driving to the store (as opposed to walking), but it still requires gas, maintenance, repairs, etc. We could just chalk it up and say “that’s life,” I suppose, but I think the thing we do need to be mindful of is spending too much time on things that do not hold long-term value or meaning either in this life or in the scope of eternity. Sometimes, however, it’s just how you approach a task. The menial can, indeed, become meaningful if we are deliberate about it.
Cheers, Michael