Nowadays, we can be connected at all times via our smart phones and tablets…even watches!
And as a result, there is continual, and often quite heated, discussion about whether this is a good or bad thing.
I sit on the good side…but with a small caveat…there has to be a balance.
I grew up in a time before any smart gadgets…my first mobile phone was so big and heavy, it wouldn’t fit in my handbag…and all it did was make calls…a strange concept in today’s terms.
But as technology started to seemingly jump ahead in big leaps, I accordingly developed a keen interest in gadgets which continues to this day.
I like being connected…correction, I love being connected…plugged in…online!
I love gadgets…I own an iphone, an iPad Air, an iPad mini and I am typing this using a Surface Pro tablet using a wireless connection.
I love having all the information I could ever want at my fingertips, all tucked nicely in a gadget that is small enough to slip into my pocket or bag.
I love being able to keep in contact with family and friends quickly and easily.
I love being able to shop online when I want….and buy from wherever in the world I want.
I love being able to share photos on social media….I admit I am totally obsessed by Instagram at the moment.
I love being able to learn from others, especially when it comes to fashion ideas and photography.
I especially love being able to write this blog and reach out to my Zinc Moon readers.
And all this and more is possible because of technology and the ability to be “plugged in”.
But as I said at the start…there needs to be a balance.
I have been guilty of staring at a screen for way too long…for forgetting that there is real life to be enjoyed out there.
I now make sure I regularly put down whichever gadget I am using, and focus on what is around me…hanging out with my husband, picking up a book to read…playing with the furkids…going for a walk…or maybe just switching off for a while.
But I find the longer I stay away from my gadgets, the more I want to learn about…to write about…to know about…to connect.
I honestly don’t think I would like to live totally off the grid…to shun technology and all it entails…to be without a connection.
Maybe for a holiday, but not permanent…plus there is the fact that my day job now involves constantly being online.
In the scheme of things, it wasn’t that long ago you weren’t able to be online unless sitting at a desk computer.
Now it seems that there never was a time where you couldn’t instantly look up something or chat to someone on the other side of the world.
And it’s like the world comes to an end if we can’t connect, and god forbid Facebook going offline!
But in all seriousness, being connected has so many benefits if used right…it should be a part of modern life, but not an obsession.
So when it come to the plugged vs unplugged debate, give me plugged any time!
Could you live a life unplugged? Could you walk away from social media?
This post was inspired by Erin from Design for Mankind, and is part of a discussion created by Pip of Meet Me at Mikes.