Day: January 28, 2024

I grew up in a time that was not inundated with technology.  Computers were a new thing and internet access involved high pitch screeching tones that tied up your phone line.  I was in my 20’s when I got my first cell phone and apps didn’t exist.  Using our imagination and spending time face-to-face was the dominant form of communication.  Yes, technology has made our lives easier in so many ways, but it has also changed us for the worse.  Children now require constant stimulation and instant gratification and using their imaginations has become a thing of the past.  Companies are making billions of dollars of their ability to keep us clicking.  Working in the school system, technology is a part of my daily life, but it was also this environment that opened my eyes and changed my own daily technology use when a teacher showed grade 9 students the Netflix Documentary, The Social Dilemma.

After watching this film I became more aware of my own use and the effect it has on my and my family which is reflected as I consider my daily technology use for this post.  On a daily basis, the bulk of my technology use is for productivity tasks such as supporting students through the use of Google Classroom, Google Docs and Slides,  Edsby and Outlook or my education primarily through  UR Courses and Zoom.   I also text, check the weather and my personal email  as well as my Facebook throughout the day.  I rely on a banking app to pay bills and monitor our accounts and use the calendar on my phone to help me stay organized, although I do transfer most things to a large monthly wipe board calendar in my kitchen including appointments, events and due dates for assignments .  If it’s not on the board or in my calendar app it doesn’t exist!! 

I have made a conscious effort to limit the amount of time I spend using technology.  One way I have done this is by implementing a no technology at the dinner table rule, and to limit the use of my phone while my daughter is up to only what is absolutely necessary.  Games and social media apps I have buried on the last page of my home screen to help  limit the temptation and will only allow myself to access those apps in the evening after my daughter is in bed and my classes are done.  I will also randomly turn on the usage monitoring feature to make sure I am staying on track and I try to leave my phone in a different room in the house.  I want my daughter to have the best of both worlds, this new digital age but also the one of my youth, and what better way for her to have that than for me to lead by example in my use of technology.