Thing 7: The ups and downs of our tech world.

Technology is supposed to ease our lives, give us time savings, and make our tasks simpler. In some ways, of course it does: I love my toaster which senses how brown the toast is, my washing machine which senses how big my laundry load is, and my car, which knows to remind me that it's time to buy gas or get serviced (I don't have one that tells me how to get where I'm going... yet).

However, technology has opened up so many possibilities for doing things that were never possible before, that I seem to have less time than I did before technology was so prevalent in my life! I spend hours tweaking photos on my computer, instead of just pasting them in a scrapbook. I spend time organizing my recipes in files, instead of cooking them. And, if I want to be cool with my teenage daughter, it's better to text her than to call her on her Cell phone. My fingers don't go as fast as hers, so that's a lot slower than calling and saying "Time for dinner, you need to come home!"

Sometimes, it's a wash, as with the software I use to keep my checkbook register organized and reconciled. I remember spending hours at the kitchen table surrounded by cancelled checks, and sheets of paper with arithmetic scribbling. Those days are gone; I rarely write a check, and use a check/card. I still spend a lot of time adding forgotten transactions, and getting everything tagged and organized the way I like. I could download the transactions from the bank, I suppose, but that requires setting up the account a certain way, and I haven't had time to do that!

Now that I'm exploring 23 more options for adding technology to my life, I'm excited and a little scared. There is so much, but all of it requires sharing a bit of myself "out there." How much privacy am I willing to give up to make full use of all of these toys. And, if I decide to back out at some point, can I erase my tracks? And even more importantly how do I guide my daughter through the joys and pitfalls of this big new world. It's a lot to ponder!