Screens can obstruct life experience or add to it.
I am just stunned by the number of people who waste their lives sitting and staring at screens. Yes, there's a value to televised entertainment and movies. Yes, cell phones have changed our lives for the better. But when screens become replacements for real human interaction - there's a problem.
According to Parents Television Council, a new study in the Journal of Pediatrics says the average eight year old child spends eight hours a day on media. A teen typically more than 11 hours of media a day.
- In 2011, 36% of teens had a smartphone. In 2014, it grew to 79%. - 13 to 17 year olds send an average of 3,300 texts per month. - 50% of teens (aged 13-18) frequently communicate online with someone they've never met in person
So what are us at, near, or post mid-lifers doing? We're doing the same thing! According to Nielsen, our usage is at an all-time high.
I'm not knocking TV, movies, video games, or cell phone screens. Far from it! However, I have to ask myself, how am I using the entertainment I have access to? Am I using it to find commonality with others? Am I using it to have more meaningful connections? I sure as hell am trying!
I love this article: 7 Things You Should Never Do On Social Media and What To Do Instead
This past weekend, I went to Earth Day and used my cell phone and social media to connect with my belly dance sisters. We planned where we would meet up and then WE PUT THE ELECTRONICS DOWN. We had real conversations, played drums, blew bubbles, flew kites, browsed vendor booths, and danced. There are plenty of pictures, which involved picking up the technology again. But the best time I had was when I had my phone tucked away, I savored time with others, and I soaked up sunshine.
If we misuse this gift. I fear us becoming a nation of screen-hypnotized zombies. And where I'm starting with it is right in my own home.
Family dinners have been replaced by soundless gatherings around TVs. Kids are outside less and in front of screens more. People are more overweight than ever not because of this technology but because of their use of it.
How does technology and media add to your life? How will you make small changes in your household to assure your technology adds to instead of detracts from your actual life? Send me photos of you using technology to enhance your experience. I can't wait to hear from you!