I had a Skype call recently with my two-year-old niece. I was on my computer; she was on my sister’s iPad. Just a few minutes into the conversation Cassidy said: “All done. Thank you. Bye bye” and she pressed the “hang-up” button. Yes, the kid knows screens. It’s kind of scary, really, when I think about how far technology has come and how much we’ve gained (and lost) in the process. It’s pretty amazing what a simple “phone” can do nowadays – not only make calls but plan a route, look up information, allow you to play games or watch a TV show or movie – but their many features are what make them so addictive.
My fiancé and I were watching The Ellen DeGeneres Show recently. Guest Adam Levine was talking about how he’s hooked on the game “Candy Crush.” It’s a simple, but quickly addictive game wherein your friends can send you lives. Well, Adam ran out of lives while playing in bed one night. He just had to beat that level … His fiancée was sleeping peacefully beside him. He grabbed her phone, manoeuvred her sleeping body to use her finger to unlock her phone using the fingerprint technology … and then sent himself a life so he could continue playing Candy Crush. My fiancé and I looked at each other and laughed. Unfortunately, we could relate.
It’s so easy, when there’s so much on offer on that little screen, to “check out” of everyday life. When I was a kid we used to play outside all the time. When we weren’t outside, we were playing with our Barbies and My Little Ponies. Now, kids sit inside, eyes and fingers glued to their phone or tablet, texting furiously or trying to get to the next level in the game of the moment. And it’s not just the kids who are checking out.
I love reading. I love baking with my stepdaughter. I love chatting with my fiancé, rehashing our days. I don’t LOVE my iPhone … and it’s time I quit Candy Crush cold turkey, put the phone down and check back into life.
