Attached at the Hip

Everyday, I wake up to the sound of birds tweeting against the backdrop of a nursery lullaby and ringing bells. It's 6:00 am and I can reach to hit "dismiss" or "snooze." Oh, did I say that I can set the same time for each day of the week? Or, that as the music plays, I also hear a vibration on my night stand? 

You guessed it; my mobile android phone has become attached to my mind, body and soul. Sound effects keep me on alert and entice me to check my emails, Facebook, and texts. I also use Google maps on this device to help me get from point A to B. The weather report for my city is locked in, so I no longer have to access The Weather Channel online before running out the door. Since the screen is in a miniature state, struggles with typing on the screen have led me to, non other than, utilize the voice option. Finally, I browse the Internet in search of local gas prices via Gasbuddy.com and check the status of all kinds of accounts. 

Ok, so my mobile phone starts and ends my day. However, such attachment has caused me to evaluate my need for constant access. I have determined that notifications with pings are really a distraction, especially about posts and new mail. I also realized that just because I can use the voice application to access my contacts, doesn't justify making calls while driving. Furthermore, it's not necessary for my phone to go with me everywhere i.e., the bathroom, the office, and other places, including church and the grocery store. I have seen people do this, and even my students are not allowed to have their phones out on desks, nor use it for capturing notes on the whiteboard. You won't find me talking on the phone in public or while waiting for the doctor. Nor will you see me walking down the street with the phone to my ear. Nope, not me. I have learned to leave the phone plugged in another room. Some might call it "taking a break," but I view it as controlling the phone before it controls my every move, every day. 

And, another thing, new social media has influenced my perspective of events. I have followed current event posts by the news media on Facebook and Twitter. I hear stories about injustice, murder, animal abuse, and most recently, about the weather changes across the country. In doing so, I have been compelled to comment via my iPad, support the cause, or research more information, and I've even been moved to question the way in which the media can impact perspectives; as I am not interested in being stumped. 

These influences are both positive and negative. For instance, the homepage of a news media web site is bursting with everything negative. Some people might praise one media for keeping them informed about current events, even if indirectly affecting them. Yet, they won't access the media site that features the good first, and then events related specifically to them and their communities. People are more drawn to the negative, as it puts them on alert and peeks interest for more details, versus good news, that makes them feel warm and fuzzy, shielding them from possible realities. 

I take breaks from negative media, weather it be on television, or accessed via my mobile phone, iPad or desktop. Unfortunately, we're not always able to do this based on the flow of real time messaging. But, I do believe that regardless of how new media has influenced how we think or what we do, the control of your thoughts belong to you!