This statement will come as no surprise to you, but I will say it anyway: Technology has taken over every aspect of personal life, work life and family life.

Don’t get it twisted: I’m not opposed to the wave of technology. I can send a quick text to the hubby to bring something home, I can put on a few quick youtube videos so my kid learns his alphabet while I prepare meals (double the productivity…I DIG IT), I can watch a few youtube videos to learn how to cook legume like a native haitian (go figure), I can use social media to connect with old friends and distant family. The best part of all, I can google whatever the heck I want (no more inconvenient rides to the library…woohoo).

Despite my appreciation for technology, I still have a bone to pick.

If I could write a letter to technology this is what it would say:

Dear Technology:

While I feel I have gotten to know you pretty well and enjoyed your presence, I’m beginning to feel that this relationship is reminiscent of a friend stabbing me in the back:

• You have managed to wreak havoc and start an addiction that takes away from productivity. I mean as I write this, I’m browsing instagram and facebook. Really? Who told you to come in and redirect my thoughts?
• You have managed to make multi-tasking an addiction as well. Feeding my child without entertaining the features of those darn smart phones is not the norm anymore.
• Some conversations with husband tend to center on what is happening on social media with the ease of your touch screen offspring.
• Every time I pick up a device, my child expects some special surprise from it. So not even two yet and I’m already having to say “no sweetie, that is enough for today” and watch his disappointment. Although it is quite cute, don’t think you are off the hook.

• That is not even the icing on the cake. Teenagers everywhere are getting into accidents because of the voodoo that you do with those text message features. 

Communication just has not been the same since you stepped on the scene. However, I can’t completely end this letter without at least giving you the proper recognition you deserve for the apps that prevent texting and driving. What a wonder.

Nonetheless, I choose to end this letter urging you to make more of an effort to be responsible with your fancy things and consider the consequences of the options you provide to people all over the world. You may just save a life or create an opportunity for greater and more important connections.

Sincerely,

The somewhat appreciative addict

I don’t expect that this bone-picking exercise would stop the ubiquitous fast paced growth of technology and its use and/or misuse everywhere. I honestly got a kick out of writing it. However, it compels me to say this:

1. We have to be even more intentional (I would like to emphasize this: INTENTIONAL) in using every possible opportunity for face to face personal interaction with the people we care about or care to know more about. There is nothing like sitting in front of a person, looking them in the eyes and feeding off of their body language. You get more of the real deal than you would any other way.
2. While I would like to blame technology for the car accidents that have occurred because of texting and driving, we have to be intentional in using technology more wisely; whether it is a demanding job, a needy family member, or a long distance friend or just the desire to capture a sunset and post it to instagram tugging at your time at a not so opportune moment.
3. We have to be intentional about being more patient. Your phone, that television show, that video game, that instagram moment: they are not going anywhere. So its okay to just be in the moment and capture it into your physical memory before telling the social media family about it.

Have you recognized a pattern yet? 

Moral of the story: Be Intentional! (Especially before the good old-fashioned communication as we know it become obsolete).

We make millions of decisions everyday. It should not be hard to be intentional about making the decision to put the technology sources on pause. Easier said than done? Not really, just another intentional decision.

Normel Smith

Wife to an amazing husband, mother to an exploring toddler and an MPA graduate aspiring to impact the world with encouragement in mothering and in social entrepreneurship.