Firstly, I must admit that I am the worst kind of technology addict. I most often use it intentionally to kill time and that unintentionally kills a whole day. If we are considering video games, then it kills days upon days. I am currently playing Far Cry 6 (have been for months as I am a total map and sidequest clearer) now that it is streaming on PS Plus (premium, I think).

Image: Ubisoft. PlayStation. https://www.playstation.com/en-ca/games/far-cry-6/

I refuse to download games now and wait for them all to stream. This is due to a small hard drive, a “feature” of the PS5 that I got the Xmas before last. It is a departure from the old PS4 Pro, but somehow I still survive…barely…

Image: PlayStation. Amazon. https://www.amazon.ca/PlayStation-Console-Disc-Ragnar%C3%B6k-Bundle/dp/B0BHF3ZDQW

How crazy is it that I have adjusted to the quickest, easiest, most useful technology and feel annoyed by anything that is remotely inconvenient? While being an OG dial-up kid! Talk about building tech tolerance/entitlement!

The significant upgrade in tech generally, and its consumer-friendly integration into daily life, has made me an addict. I don’t walk the dogs without checking that my steps are accounted for. The work on my Macbook is no longer restricted to my home office and can be seamlessly completed on my iPhone (or iPad, but let’s be real, that is for YouTube while on the treadmill). I watch a movie on the TV while scrolling TikTok. My Beats Pro headphones connect to whatever device I pick up, alternating between 3 sometimes. I wear them all day long like a crazy person.

I often wonder how I functioned before.

Well, I guess I went to the library and hauled books and printed articles around; I paid bills at the bank with my paper copies in hand; I tried to play games that were on scratched discs; I PAID FOR AND RAN OUT OF CELLPHONE MINUTES; I spent hours modifying myspace via html instead of drag and drop websites like the wix I use now; and I toted around a bloody discman with garbage headphones that was never ever truly anti-skip…(see r/nostalgia if you need a little blast from the painful past!)

Recently, instead of using the internet for entertainment, I have started moving all my business stuff onto google drive. This way, I can share invoices, receipts, and spreadsheets with the bookkeeper and accountant without bringing boxes of crap to their office. I can take a premade template and quickly fill out an estimate or invoice while on the job site and send it to a customer via my phone. This may not seem revolutionary, but prior to my BEAD last year, I had never used Google Docs or slides, let alone Google Drive. Look how organized I am now!

In addition to trading time-sucks for productivity, I am looking at TikTok for inspiration in teaching/lessons, exercise, nutrition, business, old house renovations, and dog training. It has inadvertently tricked me into creating a rather interesting/informative FYP. It is probably still a time-suck because I am not “doing” during that time, but I figure it is an improved waste of time.

I am still using a notebook and pen to plan my life, but my calendar across devices serves as my backup. I use it more to remind myself of the things I already recorded and it helps me commit to memory the important stuff by recording it again in the app. I check it every morning and every evening as I plan (in my notebook) my assignments, personal goals, appointments, and deadlines.

I am definitely behind the times, but I am becoming more open to learning tech as a tool for productivity. This year has brought pretty big adjustments and I am finding it beneficial despite a learning curve. In fact, this is the most productive I have been on the internet since those long, early days grinding on Winmx for complete downloads.