Tuesday, January 17, 2012

My Technology Addiction

You know you're a frazzled mother when the barista at the coffee shop has to tell you that you have a "Hooray!" sticker on your scarf.

It doesn't help my "frazzledness" (yes, I'm deeming that a word), now that I'm up to an iPhone, an iPad and a Kindle, in addition to my laptop and iPod. Could I be more connected? And when I say that, I'm not bragging. I'm a little concerned.

And while I've been MIA the last few days due to work and general life stuff, unfortunately, it's not because I've been offline. I've been super-online, if that's possible. From work to my email accounts, yes, accounts, I'm plugged in constantly. Do you ever feel that sometimes you're hooked up to too many devices? In a way, it's good. For instance, yesterday I immediately received a text, email and phone messages from my kids' schools letting me know that they were safe and sound after a tornado hit Lousville. (Yes, we had a tornado in January. That's what happens when it's 60 degrees one day and 36 the next. I live in Crazy-town, U.S.A.) In other ways, it's bad, because it prevents you from doing other things you SHOULD be doing, like sleeping.


And speaking of the Internet, what do you think of the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property (Protect IP Acts)? Is it something that could help protect media companies (because, you know, Hollywood needs protection) or will it hurt certain Internet sites and hinder the free-flow of information? While I understand the need to stop copyright infringement, it smells a little like censorship to me.

Wikipedia and Google, among other sites, are protesting today. Try to logon to Wikipedia and see what happens or visit Google and you'll see the image above. I doubt in their current form the bills will pass, but it will be interesting to see the form the bills may eventually take.

And, should the bills pass, will there be a trickle-down effect on blogs? While I provide the source to every image I post and link directly to a source within an article, could I, or any of us, be in violation of certain laws? Something to ponder.

Maybe in the end, it'll be a good thing, because it'll reduce the amount of time I'm online. :)
Images from Google and etsy, via Pinterest

5 comments:

highheeledlife said...

It will be interesting how things play out for the internet and how it is used/accessed... information passed along.

As for being to plugged in I think it can certainly happen.. I only have the blog, email (an email for blog and one for personal stuff); since I'm no longer working - I very rarely use or check my Samsung Smart cell; and have a land line. and I find all that most overwhelming!!

No kindle (yet) i'm still a must have printed book kinda gal.

What did we do before all this technology...xo HHL

Suburban Princess said...

I am way too plugged in. I now even have a new phone that tells me anytime one of my online ppl sneezes! Dingaling! Sometimes I just turn it off and go about my daily life. Emails will wait!

I wonder how the bills might affect people in countries outside of the US. I have a Canadian IP...would it apply to me?

preppyplayer said...

Yes, I am online WAY too much... however, I don't watch too much TV and it does help my business.

I am interested in the bills and how they would enforce them, a bit skeptical.
Know a young girl whose exboyfriend has posted nude pics that she sent him (dont ask) in a collage along with her college pics and stats. ( she was a DI basketball player.) The collage has gone viral and is on porn sites now.
All. Over. The. Internet!
Her future employers only have to google her name and those images come right up or links to sites where you may find them. Her parents have no way of helping her. No one can. they are out in cyber space. Forever.
I feel so bad for her. Too young to have known the consequences, too stupid to have sent the images.
( Thank GOD she isnt my daughter!)

designchic said...

It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out, but like you I spend waaaay to much time with all the technology that is suppose to make our life easier....hmmmmm....

teresa-bug said...

The other day I looked at my desk that held an iPad, laptop, desktop, cell phone and home phone. I used every one of those things within a 20 minute period and often more than one at a time. Insane.
I smell censorship...but I don't really have anything to 'steal' so maybe I am not one who should have a say.