Plugged In
photo by moriza
We need to talk.
(No, you’re not in trouble.)
It’s just that I’ve been seeing a trend around these interwebs and I thought, Who better to chit-chat about the trend with than my blog friends? It started with this article. And this one. And then this blog post. And some more that I foolishly let expire from my Google Reader before starring them. Suffice it to say, there’s been some gabbing going on about our plugged-in culture.
To sum up: Our brains need downtime to process information and do basic functions. Like think. The thing is, we’re always jamming information down our brains’ metaphorical throats. (If I could draw an even halfway decent brain, I’d totally illustrate that.)
We don’t just go for a run. We listen to music and watch TV and e-mail and Tweet and send important updates to Facebook like: “So hot outside.”
We don’t just watch TV. We watch TV and blog and read blogs and talk to our spouse with little grunts to let him know we still understand he’s alive and sitting next to us.
I’m going to let you in on a low moment for me. Don’t judge, or I’ll come beat you up. (Not really.) I’ve woken up and checked my e-mail on my phone before I even put on glasses. Yes, I’ve done that. (Shame, shame, shame.)
photo by brandon christopher warren
But researchers quoted in that New York Times article say uploading teensy bits of info to our minds on a near-constant basis never gives us a chance to be still and let all of that information sink in.
Without the downtime, I fear I might start talking in 140-word bites.
THE MAN: Hey, Trace, how was work?
TRACEY: Fine. #isitfridayyet #omgineedsleep
Right, so bad things would happen. Chaos.
So, what’s the solution? Well, one option is to unplug completely and endlessly annoy everyone you know by saying things like, “Sorry, I don’t own a computer. If you need to contact me, you’ll have to stop by.”
That, my friends, is not the answer.
But I don’t think shrugging it off as a byproduct of our fast-paced society is the answer either. Because, don’t you think, one of these days your brain just might put out one of those signs for you? Gone Fishin’.
For now, I’m working on balance. I might overload with micro tasks all day long, but one I’m off work, that’s it. It’s me time. I’ll pick a TV show and watch it without distractions. I’ll read in a silent room. On weekends, I shut the computer. I don’t read other people’s blogs. I don’t write mine. I may even have a conversation with The Man—but that might be pushing it.
That is, until I invent a device that downloads pertinent information straight to my brain. In seconds flat.
Do you unplug? Do you need to? Let’s continue the discussion in the comments.
18 comments
I have been doing pretty well at unplugging…but I could do better. We need to kick overly-plugged in phenomena in the booty fast…before the next great invention in technology rolls out!
[Reply]
Love this. I think everyone needs to unplug for a little while each day to stay sane. You can’t be chained to technology 24/7.
[Reply]
I love your writing. You’re always so entertaining! And unplugging = a must!!
[Reply]
I really hate to admit this, but I checked my email on my cell phone before I even got out of bed. And now, I am sitting, reading blogs, watching TV, eating breakfast. When I run or work out with music, I dont feel plugged in because I start going without my phone. But at the current time, my life is based off of the internet. E-mails are how professors contact me, assignments and readings are all posted online, and of course all of the blog world. There are definitely times when I crave an escape from my computer, but all of the responsibilities will remain.
[Reply]
Tracey Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 9:18 am
Which is why we do it–it never ends!
[Reply]
I’ve definitely checked my email from my phone before getting out of bed…so I’m equally ashamed!
I read that New York Times article and found it to be a great reminder that all of our fancy, new technology is only as good as we make it. And to really make it work in our favor, we need to step away from it every now and then.
[Reply]
I love this. LOVE it. I try to make an effort to “unplug” every once in awhile, but wonder if I ever really do? Even when I sit at lunch with my book, my phone is on silent, but still in plain view so I can pick it up if there’s a little red flash out of the corner of my eye. Pathetic.
One thing I will pat myself on the back on is that I have no electronics other than my clock in my bedroom. It felt really weird at first, but no tv, my laptop isn’t allowed in, and my phone rarely makes it from my kitchen counter to my nightstand except on weekends (I find drunk dials from my friends amusing). My bedroom truly is my room of relaxation. Only problem is I really don’t get nearly as much sleep as I should because I’m often still in the room over on my laptop finishing up a lot of last minute things before bed… ugh.
[Reply]
I hate how plugged I am, and I hate how little I seem to be able to control it. I’m only 15, dammit! My life doesn’t belong on the computer!
[Reply]
I am a multi-tasker. It is hard for me to focus on just one thing or nothing at all. Lately, though I have been eating lunch at the table (not in front of the tv as I did before) with no distractions or noise and dinner evernight with the husband is just us at the table with time to talk. I also try to leave all things technical behind at night for 30 minutes or an hour before bed to be quiet and just read a book. I am learning my hyped-up head needs down time.
[Reply]
I think it is alright to be plugged in as long as there is some perspective and as long as people still find ways to be present in their actual lives. With all the distractions we have available these days it is too easy to ignore our real lives or our inner selves.
I have to check myself sometimes like last night when I was only half listening to my son talking to me because I was updating my FB status about some awesome heirloom tomatoes I bought. In the grand scheme of life, he is far more important and deserves my full attention and lets face it, I don’t want anyone in 15 years whining to a therapist about mom caring more about heirloom tomatoes (athough those were some pretty delish tomatoes).
[Reply]
Hilarious pic, I like it! Great topic, and something that I hope we all really start paying attention to. I am on totally digital overload and have been consciously trying to make the effort to unplug.
[Reply]
I check my email on my blackberry before I get out of bed. It’s so bad. Maybe an unplug would be a good idea. Even when I run or am at the gym, I’ve got my ipod, e-reader, and garmin. It would do me good to unplug!
[Reply]
Great post! I try to unplug on weekends too by turning on my laptop as little as possible. I find that once I turn it on, it sucks me in and I get plugged in!
[Reply]
Oooh I so need to unplug! We don’t have a TV (yeah, we’re that annoying!) but I more than make up for it with my rampant Internet use. I actually think it depresses me – as in clinical depression – to be too plugged in. If I don’t get outside in the fresh air and talk to live human beings and so forth, my mood plummets. My instincts are to get all hermit up in my computer so thank you for the reminder!
[Reply]
Oprah has a whole thing on this – she’s had people on pledging not to “Text and Drive” – after so many pointless and unnecessary accidents and deaths. But, she’s even taken it a step further to include cell phones too (obviously!).
I remember she had Lisa Ling on and she admitted that she texts and talks on the phone all the time in CA; Oprah was SHOCKED that Lisa would do that – reporter, educated, stuff with National Geographic, etc. as a correspondent over war-torn countries…buy, yeah she does it.
She agreed to stop the texting, but said she would do a Blue-Tooth for talking (not stopping altogether, but not on a hand-held cell either…). Oprah still was not happy about it – even though Lisa was saying that the Blue-Tooth is legal! – true, but it’s still the fact that your distracted, talking to someone else, etc. , I guess….
I don’t know, I totally agree that Blue-Tooth is distracting too…but I guess a passenger talking to you or screaming kids in your backseat is no different…? …probably worse.
Okay and now that I’ve written a novel I’ll stop.
Sorry.
[Reply]
I think ridding yourself of distractions is so important, on a daily basis, even. Sure, we are some busy people these days. That doesn’t mean we have to be multi-tasking all the time. No wonder everyone is prescribed anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication these days.
[Reply]
After I read this, I realized:
I am addicted.
I feel naked without my droid phone.
I text constantly.
When I’m not texting, I’m facebooking, twittering, youtubing, myspacing, googling, blogging, gaming, tracking my runs/walks with my exercise app, taking pictures, and I’m sure I’m doing a million other things with technology that I probably don’t realize I’m doing.
I should probably unplug.
But I am not sure that I can ._.
[Reply]
This is so funny for me to read because when I lived in LA I was on my computer about sixteen hours a day, or at least it felt like it. This was before everyone had smart phones and twitter got huge, but I was still always attached. Leaving cell phone at home by accident felt like the scariest thing EVER.
Then I moved to Africa. It has been two years. Sometimes I have electricity, sometimes not. Sometimes our national cell phone network goes out for a week or three at a time and I am unable to communicate with anyone. Sometimes we lose internet for a month.
And its okay.
My phone works half the time and does nothing but text. I cannot afford to call or text people in America so normally it remains silent.
And its okay.
I recognize how this is a product of my crazy life but I hope that when I move back to America I can keep some aspects of the simplicity (unplugging… every day) because life really is better that way!
[Reply]
Leave a Comment