Me, myself and my electronics

So what did I find out when I tracked my electronic use for a week?

• I check my phone on average 15 times a day.
• I spend 2-3 hours (plus) a day on my devices (phone, kindle and computer)

The plus relates to extra time spent working on this blog. And no, the irony of that is not lost on me.

These numbers don't shock me. I half expected them. I'm a busy gal and my devices are an integral part of my day. What I didn't expect was the little habits I had developed around them.

The fact that my phone is the first thing I look at in the morning and the last thing I look at night bothers me. Ugh to the fact that I cannot not look at my phone when I hear it "ding" and heavy sigh, when I realize that sometimes, I reach for a device quicker than I reach out to a person.

Devices keep us in the loop but haven't they also changed our sense of connection? In a landscape of likes, LOL's and emoticons, who is still talking? And if life is about connection, how many times a day do we connect without a device?

If we knew, would we think differently about the choices we make?

I know that Siri will seek out a list of possible answers to any question I ask her but sometimes an instant answer isn't what I need. Some questions want time, time at a friend's house and a leisurely chat - the slower, the better - over a few cups of tea. 

I know that I can look up millions of recipes on the internet but I can also choose to call my mom and ask her for a recipe. All those family favorites, I know she keeps them tucked away in a little, square, cardboard box in the small cabinet next to the fridge. Learning her recipes and secrets will mean more to me than any 4 star recipe by Giada, or Ina.

These are just a few choices but there are so many more that we make everyday. Even right now.

I don't know how to end a post like this so maybe you should. Click the "x" in the upper right-hand corner. Shut down your computer. Go find someone, look them in the eye and