We are living in the technology age. It’s 2020 and our lives are ruled by devices. It’s a great advantage in our world for sure. My own family’s got the usual in our home: TVs, phones, iPads, laptops, handheld video games, remote control toys, you name it. To be honest, the amount of technology going on in my household is too much right now. But it’s not what you’re probably thinking. This has nothing to do with my kids playing with too much technology. It’s about everything else!
I am fairly tech-savvy, and I’ll admit, probably addicted to my phone. I love browsing through social media, keeping in touch with family that lives far away, and talking to my friends. But the amount of time I’ve spent using technology of some kind in the past 2 weeks cannot be healthy- it’s just way too much. But I don’t know how to curb it at this point, with the way things are going. And trust me, I’m ready for a break!
Too Much Tech Going On
To begin with, I am a teacher. So we’ve been tasked with navigating a whole new virtual, online teaching journey due to the Coronavirus. This is quite different from our normal teaching duties and requires online workshops, extra staff development, a plethora of virtual meetings, trial and error, figuring out new programs, and incorporating previous technology programs into an online learning platform. This is a lot for me- and I am officially Google certified. I am also a technology trailblazer (as we’re called in my school district). So as much as it is for me, I know it’s ten times harder for my coworkers that aren’t as adept at the tech part.
I’m also trying to assist my two daughters with their new virtual schooling life. This includes a combination of scheduling video chats with their teachers multiple times a day, helping them go on to their Google Classrooms, switching between different tabs of work, and providing aid as they are completing online assignments. Sometimes they need help answering questions or uploading work because this is all new to them too (and they are just kids).
Then you have my husband, who owns his own business. He can work from home a bit, but that requires being on the phone often, sometimes on conference calls with multiple people. So just imagine him on a work call, both of my children on a video chat with their teacher and entire class, and me also working online trying to schedule video chats with my own 5th grade students. That’s a LOT of technology going on all at once. Not to mention if the TV or radio is on in the background. It’s simply just too much (often!).
I also have to add that recently I’ve been online extra or on the phone more with family. Besides this Covid-19 pandemic and the conversations that go along with that (and the extra chatting on technology since we’re all self quarantined), our family has received the devastating news that an immediate family member has an aggressive stage 4 metastatic cancer. This requires many more phone calls, video chats, nights spent on the computer trying to research information, and conversations to share all of this with other family and friends.
So, it’s no surprise that I have more than reached my quota of technology for the entire year, within just the past month. I am pretty sure that I’m not alone in this sentiment either. I’d venture to guess that many others are feeling this technology drain too. As wonderful a tool as it is, and I am truly thankful for it, I also need a break. All I want to do is sit in a quiet spot, with no technological distractions, and read a good book for awhile. And that’s just what I’ve been trying to do each day because my brain needs a little technology detox (if even for only an hour). Another thing that helps is getting outside with my husband and girls and going for a bike ride, or enjoying the playground in our backyard. Everything is a bit overwhelming out in the world at the moment, especially for parents… but together we can support each other. So, if you’re technology’d out too– trust me… you are not alone!
