The
blogging bug has bitten Colleen, so she’s back again! To anyone who knows her,
Colleen being on Smartphones is hardly a surprise, but this time she’s talking about them rather than on them.
There's a lot of truth in the notion
that advancements in technology are having a negative impact on our collective
health. Kids play Call of Duty instead of catch and talk in chat rooms instead
of sitting on a swing at the park. Work has changed from stacking bales of hay
in a breezy field to folders of paperwork at a desk. I myself suffer from
"texter's neck", a condition marked by pain in the neck ligaments due
to prolonged strain on the muscles caused by the tilting of the head down,
often observing an incoming text on a cell phone.
We see the effects of
technology on our bodies every day.
But, if I may, there
are many benefits of technology that we may not even be aware of. I'd like to
specifically draw your attention to the highly-coveted Smartphone and the many
obscure reasons it has become an integral part of my and many other people's lives.
DISCLAIMER: I am not here to debate the
relative merits of one model of phone vs another. Nor am I here to promote one
more than another. I do own an iPhone and as such have more experience with the
applications available for that device rather than an Android or a BlackBerry,
but you will not hear me say any one of them is better than another.
Now that that's out
of the way, let me tell you all about my To Do application (app). It's a simple
enough concept. You enter some text that reminds you of an event or a chore or
a task or something you don't want to forget, then when you wish the app to
remind you of that item and how often you want it to repeat. There are many,
many different apps that accomplish essentially the same task.
Mine runs my life. I
would be completely lost without it. It lays out my morning and evening
routines, lists my weekly cleaning duties, reminds me of odd tasks I need to
accomplish, ensures my medication is taken on time, it even helps me to
remember to make cookies once a month. (Hey, not every To Do item needs to be
scrubbing a toilet!) When my last phone was stolen late last year I had
practically no idea what to do. And while I do realise my incredible dependence
on an electronic device (and conversely, the devastating effect the absence of
it has), for me, it is a small price to pay for a well-organised and productive
life. Obviously this solution isn't for everyone. For me and my mother-in-law,
however, it works very well.
When I decided to
take up yoga I considered my options for that exercise type. I could take
classes, purchase DVDs, watch podcasts or YouTube videos, look for a yoga app.
Then I had an idea. I created a photo album on my phone and added several
pictures of yoga poses to it, all found on the Internet. (But that is an
entirely different blog.)
Now I had photo
memory aids and a specific and custom order for my yoga practice. That kind of
full customisation is not something I have found in any app or, obviously, in
any video or class. It was a perfect fit for me. I could even set whatever
music I wanted while on my mat with my iPod app (the Mission Impossible theme
is highly motivating for yoga) and time myself with my stopwatch app to see how
long I had practiced that day. The irony of my smart phone helping me become
healthier is not lost on me.
A large perk of smart
phones is the large array of game apps (many of them free). On our first
wedding anniversary, Jonathan and I celebrated with dinner out. The restaurant
we chose was packed and we had a forty-five minute wait. We passed the time
alternating levels on one of our favourite games. We hung over the shoulder of
the gamer of the moment, giving advice.
A philosophy I've had
for a very long time is "a laugh shared is a laugh doubled". I
believe a friend of mine also has that philosophy. Often at parties you'll see
him flicking through his smart phone glancing at pictures he's saved from
websites, all of them humorous, or at least he thinks so. He will hold his
phone out to others to see the Lolcat or cartoon or amusing play on words,
giggling away with them. I love swapping new photos with him.
Not everything about new technology is
good, but for me at least, my Smartphone has more than paid for itself in
on-time credit card bills and instant tips on money-saving ways to clean a
home. And of course you can't put a price on the simple peace of mind that
comes from knowing I will not forget to book that doctor's appointment six
months from now or to be able to leave the stove's because the phone is always
with me and Pachelbel's canon means those double-chocolate cookies are ready!
My (Jonathan’s) conclusion is that new
technology can be good or bad, it all depends on how you choose to use it.
Cookies are more than acceptable.
If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.
If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.
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