Plasma Screens

I have a love/hate relationship with my iPhone. I love being able to stream pandora in the backyard, take photos, edit and upload them instantly. The gps, and instant google are also bonuses. But I hate that I'm always staring at this tiny thing.

I noticed recently, that my family tends to rotate which screen we are staring at. Be it the laptop, the iPhone, or the tv with its Netflix, xbox, blueray or Olympic viewing features. We will pleasantly rotate from screen to screen until someone (usually me) suggest we make a meal or go check on the chickens.

Now, don't get me wrong, we learn a lot while using our devices. How to count or swim, names of weeds, awesome homemade recipes for chicken electrolytes, fall gardening tips, what our friends are doing in their spare time, how to make vegetable tarts, etc. But we also have to shift through Justin bieber nonsense, political annoyance, complaining, recipes for everything, pinterest posts, and other peoples religious opinions instead of looking at each other in the face and playing color-coded dominos.

I do acknowledge that my industry wouldn't exist without those who are dialed in, taking photos, posting and reporting about pop culture. So that part of me, the I-need-to-care-to-get-paid part seriously conflicts with my I-know-I'm-staring-at-my-iPhone-because-I'm-trying-to-determine-if-that-plant-is-poisonous-but-my-daughter-only-knows-I'm-staring-at-my-phone-again part and I'm thinking it's time for a shift. I feel less lame if my girl sees me using books to try and answer questions (probably because she can look too without an accidental keystroke messing everything up). We love getting dirty together and are about to enter a new project focused completely on dirt, compost and chicken poop, without technology.

In all this rambling I'm hearing myself say I need to find a way to glean only the knowledge I'm searching for and then put the device down! Find a way to incorporate the girl into the research process, especially since it seems to take twice as long as the projects do. I hate schedules at home (home is for relaxing and being free), but maybe it's time to schedule computer time and unhook my phone from the interwebs ?? IPhone only for photos and music?

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For more thoughts on this idea check out Rachel Macy Stafford's writings on this blog: www.handsfreemama.com