Being Connected

I was on my in to work the other day listening to the radio.  I usually listen to a local talk show in the morning and the host had said something that got me thinking.  Why do we always have to have instant gratification when it comes to connecting with the outside world.  With all of this technology surrounding us in today's age, we feel as a society that we always have to stay connected in some shape or fashion.  I, for one, am particularly guilty of this.  I can't go anywhere without my cell phone.  I work in front of a computer all day where I talk to customers, do research online, and interact with others either by email or instant messaging.  When I come home I am either on my laptop, texting on my phone, or watching netflix on TV (which is streamed online).

With this in mind, I started thinking about what we did as a society ten or fifteen years ago.  Back then, I was a teenager going through junior high and high school and learning about the facts of life.  Believe it or not, I did not have a cell phone, my parents wouldn't allow it.  They freaked out when my boyfriend had bought me a pager.  Hell, I didn't even become accustomed to the internet until I was fifteen, and it had already been out a good five years at least.  No, the only connection I was really accustomed to was my home phone, writing notes and letters on actual paper, and verbal, face-to-face communication.

Yes, I dreamed of being one of the lucky ones who always had their cell phone by their side believing I was popular if someone happened to call me while I was talking to someone else.  But I never dreamed that as an adult I would feel like I would die if I didn't have one.  Now, it seems like I live in a world of ADD where I am going from website to website looking for new information.  Or I am checking my phone every 10 minutes to see if I missed a text or if I got a new email from work.

Now, I'm not saying instant connection is a bad thing.  If I was in an accident and I needed to call my husband to let him know, having a cell phone by my side would be a life saver.  Or if I'm out to lunch and I get an email from my boss that I've been waiting on, I can see that he sent it to me and I won't have to fret during my entire lunch hour.

What I am saying, though, is that maybe sometimes we have to take a step back and break away from the constant connection.  Give our sanity a break and get connected with the life outside of our internet stream.  Usually, I get that break when I'm driving home and sometimes I feel anxious.  And I feel it's a little sad that I get anxious when I can use that time to relax and gather my thoughts before I get home to my husband.

At any rate, while I know that technology advancements will find new and better ways at keeping us connected, sometimes I think it's best if I just hit the off switch, relax, and communicate like I did back in the day.