Things were very different when I was a kid. I don't want this to turn into a "when I was your age...uphill in the snow" kind of rant, but I did promise to share my thoughts. It's occurred to me off and on in adulthood that I have become so dependent on current technology I simply can't remember what I did before it existed.
Booking a flight is a good example of this. What did we do before the internet? A more day-to-day example is online banking. Did we go in to the bank and wait in line for everything? Maybe technological advance begets dependence on further technological advances. Debit cards plus internet equal dependence on online banking. Is it a bad thing? No, online bill pay saves trees. I'm getting off topic already. Technology has damaged my attention span, I'm talking to you DVR and Facebook.
Let's start there with instant gratification. Thank God for entertainment at the push of a button. The teething, cranky baby wants Dora? You got it. Mommy hasn't taken a night off for two weeks? Her Grey's Anatomy are cued up and waiting. It's not just TV either. I routinely select a bunch of books from the library from my couch. When the library emails me that they're in I walk in to the desk switch what I have for the new ones. It takes less than 2mins on a normal day. I also upload my pictures from the couch and pick them up when they're ready.
Pre-digital photography I would have had to develop the roll of film (or worse scan through boxes of negatives), wait the hour minimum or 3 days if necessary, buy a frame, cut them to the right sizes/shapes and put them in. All of that would have been mission impossible with a little one in tow. Technology saved me from having to go in at all until my collages were printed in recent years. It also saved all the people quietly reading in the library from my toddler. It's not just library books and pictures. What did people do before microwaves and convenience food? I'm quite sure I would have starved to death when Riley was an infant had it not been for Hotpockets. I used to put one in the microwave while she was napping, push the button when I heard her stirring and by the time I changed her diaper my lunch was ready. I’d nurse the baby and eat one handed on the couch most days. A little later baby food pouches saved Riley from a complete low blood sugar inspired meltdown more than a few times. The major pitfall being we've all lost any semblance of patience.
Now that I've addressed the instant gratification (or DVR effect) let's talk over stimulation. Everything does something now. Riley's toys all require batteries, light bulbs, protective headgear and engineering degrees. When did playing pretend go so completely out of style? Sometimes when the batteries die on a toy I am enraged to discover that without all the theatrics it's just an overpriced box, ball or stuffed animal. The commercials are more overwhelming than they used to be too. I always feel like my senses have been brutally assaulted after a round of commercials aimed at kids. Which why we ditched cable in favor of streaming video.
All of these things have their ups and downs …It’s a nice day out. Aside from most definitely destroying my attention span Facebook has it’s good points. It allows family and friends who are far away to watch my kids grow up. I don't think I could have survived bed rest or recovery from back surgery without the social outlet networking sites and message boards provided. Women on my pregnancy board became my other family. They understood and still do exactly where I am in my live. I have been very lucky. I hope my blog's audience grows and many mother's find comfort, entertainment and above all the information I felt lacking three years ago. It makes the world feel a little smaller. On the other hand a smaller world isn't always a good thing. I worry about my kids going up with all the information out there, all the anonymity and deception. I read an article recently about the "Facebook Blues" that said many people look at networking sites and find their own lives lacking. Of course people only represent the best of themselves online. The grass does usually seem greener and when you can passively compare your live to almost everyone you've ever met it's hard not to be overwhelmed.
There is a lot of information and a lot more lines of communication now then there ever were before. For example we are able to email Isaac's teacher and get a response same day. No more note passing, message leaving, or wondering. We can stay on top of things at school and school can stay on top of things at home.
When I was a kid I had a beautiful set of World Book Encyclopedias. I was often told when my parents didn't know something (like most kids in my generation) to look it up. I was an intelligent, resourceful kid and often found disappoint the reward for my efforts. There would often be a short paragraph giving generalize information where I had hoped for real answers. Now, if the kids are interested in something we as parents don't know a lot about we Google it together. We read wikipedia (using that also as a lesson in "don't believe everything you read"/"check your sources"). We watch youtube videos together. It's all easily accessible there's not one source there are millions upon millions.
Information is the key to functioning as effective parental unit. Wow, that sounded like a self help book. When I was a kid there was no way to tell someone to get milk on their way home if they left their office before you thought of it. Now texting has become essential. Being able to tell your spouse what to pick up on the way home any time of day you think of it without disturbing their work day. Shooting your friend a message without worrying that you’re waking up her toddler is always such a relief. Beyond texting what did we do when our cars broke down before cell phones? Did people haul themselves and screaming kids down the side of the road to a pay phone or just camp out and hope help would find them? Scary. Again, I've watched way to much Investigation Discovery to accept help from strangers.
We are dependent, cranky, unfocused and demanding thanks to technology. We are also more available, connected and informed than ever before.
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