Confessions of a Computer Addict

                                       

Do you live in a virtual reality? I do....

Here's how my day goes.... I start my day by turning on my laptop. This is before breakfast, before shower and before I let the poor dogs out of their crate! I check for emails, and check my Facebook page. Sometimes I get caught up for a good hour in feeds and then move on to my blog. If I've been good the night before, I already have 2 postings for the day so I reread them and get them out. I then post them to a few sites and return again to my Facebook page, responding to messages, etc.

I check out a few others blogs or sites that I am a part of and read the comments and write. By this time I start to feel guilty about the poor dogs so I quickly shower and let them out, returning yet again to my computer to finish my reading and write a comment or two.

Of course, now two hours has passed since I checked my FB feed so I check it again - reading up on some things that interest me.

By now, I've got my phone ringing and texting coming in and I'm involved in a few email conversations. And let's not forget "Words Free". Now it's usually 12:30 and I still haven't eaten.

I stroll to the kitchen and decide it's time to start in with my responsibilities... which mostly seem to be on the computer too!

Before I know it, half the day is gone. I pick up my daughter from school and she turns on her computer! It's now time to check that FB page again and make dinner.

After dinner I try to ignore the computer for a few hours (but no despairing because I still have my smart phone as my constant companion) until about 8:30 when the rest of the family all fire up their laptops and again read their FB pages and new stories, etc. (Since when is quality family time sitting in front of our computers together!) I settle down to do some research and write my blog for the following day, finally retiring at 11:30 PM. Ready for another day ON THE COMPUTER!!!!

Funny thing is - I pride myself that I don't waste time watching TV or movies anymore. We have a no TV rule for my daughter and the other day I went in to her room and found her watching shows on the computer - I said "it's the same thing!"

While I'm on the computer - I'm connecting with people... or am I???? I'm beginning to think that we all live a virtual reality.

I think it's great that we are so plugged in to people all over the world and we have pretty well constant contact with so many! When someone needs prayer - it's all on the internet in a few moments. Big news stories reach us immediately. It's all good!

My question is, are we getting that connection that we get by face to face contact? We are becoming pretty one-dimensional people. Where is that community of girlfriends that I used to rely on for all my social needs. I now completely relay on social media! Even if I get together with a group of people, we are all plugged into our phones!

What's the solution or does there need to be? Do we throw away our computers and social media? - no way... I think I need to start having more balance in my life.  Pretty soon we are going to have to start a new support group... computer users anonymous! Or maybe it will get to the point where we put a little chip in our finger and a camera behind our eye and we won't need to fire anything up - we will be the power source.

So I'm thinking of having a button installed on my computer just as the old cookie jar used to. With an authoritative voice I want to hear when I open the lid to my lap top... STEP AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER AND LIVE YOUR LIFE!!! But not today... I have work to do!