Technology- the good, the bad, the ugly.

I was driving to work this morning and for whatever reason, started contemplating how changes in technology has so much affected the world. Moreso, how it has impacted me. So, here's my take on the good, the bad, and the ugly of how technology has impacted my life.

The good-

• Electricity- yes, this shall top my list of the good of technology. I don't know how people made it without electricity- I would freeze my butt off in the winter, sweat tremendously in the summer, and have to cook fresh meals EVERY MEAL!
• Safety/security- I almost always have a way of getting ahold of someone thanks to my cell phone!
• Information- I have access to loads of information via the Internet, from reviews on books to Bible passage interpretations to recipes (dairy free ones at that) to parenting advice to looking up how to treat a baby's cold to social media to decorating ideas and way more!
• Keeping in touch- emails and FB chat are a much easier and convenient way to stay in touch with friends, both close friends and those I haven't seen since high school. See "The bad" too.
• Internet shopping- good deals are so easy to find on the Internet! See "The ugly" too.
• There's a world out there I haven't been able to see! Without TV, I wouldn't know anything about wild animals or African tribes or the crazy dirty jobs people do or how to survive in the jungles of Peru or the history of war weapons. TV can really open my eyes to our world! I can also catch the news and hear about politics or the war in Afghanistan where several of our friends have been serving or local events. See "The ugly" too.
• Medical advances- lives are saved and made healthy/healthier because of the advances in medical technology! I'm sure many of you reading this can relate either directly or know someone close who has been affected by this.

The bad-

• Snoops- I have a feeling that someone out there who doesn't know me, could very easily find out PLENTY about me, no matter what new security measures I've got up.
• Keeping in touch- unfortunately, it seems FB is sometimes the ONLY way I hear or communicate with friends. Once upon a time, I hung out with these people. Now we "allow" the Internet to be our means of friendship and that is rather stinky. Now for those of you who are distant, excused, even justified. Better yet, kudos for still including me in your life! But for my friends here close by, we don't have much excuse besides wanting "me" time all the time (guilty). There is balance, I understand. So, "all" being the key word- we were made for relationships and some face time, in my belief, is required to keep these healthy!
• I no longer have memorized anyone's birthdays, anniversaries, or phone numbers. Ok, maybe those close to me I know by heart, but simply tapping your name on my phone to call you is way easier. What is my brain doing with all that extra space??
• Too much information! Caleb as a runny nose- it could just be teething, or its a cold, or the start of something even worse (the flu?). The Internet has so much information that it's overwhelming as a new mommy!
• Ultra-reliance- I might just suffer from always relying on technology, which has made me pretty lazy- frozen dinners, lack of creativity and imagination (easier to look up how to do something rather than figure it out on my own), and even blaming it- well the Internet was down so I couldn't write a check and mail it in to get that bill paid on time.
• Instant gratification- I expect instant gratification (fast food, i.e.), and that trickles into my relationships when people don't do what I think they should, when I think they should. My patience is tested when the Internet is running slow- does that even make sense??

The ugly-

• Addictions- technology can be addicting- I am the snoop always reading up about other peoples' lives (whether famous or not, mostly thanks to FB), I could be spending more $$ than I should on eBay or on Old Navy's maternity clearance (not that I have done this, but I certainly COULD do this), or I could sit for hours in front of the TV watching reruns of Friends or Everybody Loves Raymond (ok, guilty) or other miscellaneous reality tv shows.
• Jealousy/envy- Wait, your child is already turning over, sleeping through the night, laughing, and starting solids at 4.5 months?? My kid isn't... it is so easy to compare and let jealousy and envy enter in! And then there's the "wish list" that's a mile long of things I want, only because I know they are out there because I researched for "everything a new baby needs" or whatever else my little heart gets curious about (curtains, clothes, comforters, wall hangings, etc).

So, all in all, I know that technology is good, is bad, and can be ugly. It all depends on what I decide to do with it. May this year be a year of more discipline in how I use my technology, for the better!