You don’t just start using the phone every waking minute. Technology creeps in. You start by having it in your purse. Then your desk. Next you get it out while waiting in the car or the doctor’s office. Soon it’s in the house during commercials. Or a quick text when you are out and about. Next thing you know you are one of those who spends all your time on the phone while out to eat with your family or visiting friends and relatives. Or walking with a friend while on the phone with someone else. You’ve lost all eye contact with people.

Or maybe it’s a tablet that was only to make life easier and now you can’t even watch TV or go to the bathroom without being connected. The cat tries to sit on it to get your attention.

It could be TV, video games or internet surfing. They began at an hour a day and now has grown to most of your evening.

Being so attached to the technology makes you more unattached to your body, people and your surroundings. We know why we like technology. It’s entertaining. It makes us feel connected. It gives us an adrenaline rush. In most cases it’s easier than dealing with people in your life, a messy home or a situation you are unhappy in. And since it is easy, we don’t realize when we have been spending way too much time with it.

Where has technology creeped for you that you haven’t noticed?

You can test your attachment, by going an hour without touching technology. Next week try 2 hours. What about half a day? Or scheduling a whole day?

Perhaps you decide once a week you will not go online. Or keeping your phone off the whole day. Maybe you will schedule your internet surfing or video gaming for a certain timed, time period.

It’s time to be intentional with how we allow technology into our lives.

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Photo by Gustav H