For months I’d been noticing people in my approximate age bracket wearing Apple watches. Like the man waiting for his Macchiato at the Starbucks at SFO airport.
“Is that an Apple watch, “ I ask.
He lights up in the affirmative.
Do you like it, I ask.
He LOVES it! Especially the way it monitors heart rate and, should he fall down and can’t get up, he’s got peace of mind because he’s WEARING his emergency call button.
I can relate. So I order one. Red because I love red. I AM a RED. And because I lose black things.
It arrives exquisitely packaged – Apple is a complete genius when it comes to packaging. With minimal instructions that show me how to attach the band and fasten it on my wrist. Genius. Like the packaging.
Then I pressed (what I think is) the on button and… nothing happened.
Hours later I am online with Apple’s usually helpful HELP.
Turns out that the watch needs to be charged before any of it works. I know, this should be self evident, but to me it was not. Plus this is bit of information is not in the HELP agent’s script. I have to ask a friend who has an Apple watch.
The power adapter (charging plug), which is different from any of my other charging plugs (cell phone, mac, ipad…), is not included.
Why don’t electronics come with compatible power adapters and instructions that begin STEP 1: CHARGE YOUR NEW TOY.
And why is STEP 0 not: ORDER A COMPATIBLE PLUG.
A month in, I am very happy with my Apple Watch. The plug was not expensive and it works. The watch charges on my bedside table overnight… where at midnight on July 4 it alerted me that my heart was going bananas. I was asleep so I’m thinking maybe it was triggered by fireworks? I wonder what it does in an earthquake.
The most useful thing it can do, it turns out, is call my (as usual) misplaced cellphone.
Are you experiencing the latest in technology or sticking your fingers in your ears and humming?
No Apple watch here, but my Fitbit does that same sort of strange heart monitoring thing . . . .
ReplyDeleteI don't understand things that need to be charged arriving without a charging cable . . . you'd think it would be clearly noted if you needed to order it separately . . . .
Hey, this is me, Deana Dale.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious, how long does the battery last on the Apple watch.
ReplyDeleteI charge mine each night. The battery is usually at about 50% when I am getting ready for bed
DeleteI do the same, charge it overnight... but then how does it know how much you're sleeping??
DeleteI charge mine in the evening while doing the dishes or reading before bed. Mine doesn't seem to charged daily, which is nice.
DeleteMaybe, Hallie, it's like Santa Claus--it sees you when you're sleeping. It knows when you're awake. And now, I'll never get one, 'cause that seems creepy! - Melanie
DeleteHa ha ha! For sure…
DeleteNo fancy watches for me. My (Android Pixel) phone is always in my pocket, though, and it's my step tracker, camera, and all round connect-with-everything device.
ReplyDeleteI don't like bossy devices. I don't like Facebook deciding what is important for me to see (what ever happened to the Most Recent setting for my feed?). I definitely don't want my watch telling me it's time to exercise.
Was your heart okay, Hallie, on July 4? I hope so! And who ever heard of a device not coming with a charging device it needs? Sheesh.
Although it's frustrating, I find more & more devices are coming without a charging cable. I think it would not be a huge problem if the new device used a universal cable and you could use your old one. But nope, that would be too easy!
DeleteYES, Grace! There should be a universal cable! Each new electronic device needing its own cable is a money-making scandal. At the very least, two devices from Apple (watch and iPhone) should use the same cable. As I understand from these comments, they don't.
DeleteAgreed, KIM. How many of us have a drawerful of useless cables from old devices?!
DeleteWhen we were clearing out our old house and the old office we had boxes of old cables (including some for movie cameras). We found out that the metal recycling center pays more for a cable than they did for an entire metal desk, because of the metals used in cords and whatnot.
DeleteMy new Apple watch came with all that was necessary to charge it. Most electronic devices must be charged before initial use, this preserves battery life. You do have a choice not to wear the watch all the time, I only wear mine when running for the statistics regarding it. A charged battery will last more than one day, it depends on how many hours you wear it.
DeleteI’m pretty sure the new iPhone I bought in June or July came without a charging cable. I upgraded, lured in by Verizon’s free upgrade ads, only to end up spending close to $100 to have a usable phone: charging cable, car charger, case, screen pro. I think Apple changes the charging cables so you have to buy new accessories.
DeleteMy watch came with a cable and it is so short that it fits in my purse pocket. The short cord is one the reasons I charge in the evening before bed. I plug into my extension cord that has my converter attached and gingerly line up the magnets on the back of the watch with the cord and gently put it on a softer surface next to my chair.
DeleteMy husband got me a smart watch that said it was waterproof. One morning I had a very early doctors appointment and I took a very early shower so I wasn't quite awake and forgot to take my watch off. Guess what?? Ends up that the watch was not waterproof. I did like that it kept track of my steps and that was just around the house mostly.
ReplyDeleteFalse advertising!!
DeletePaula, was the watch damaged? Were you able to get it repaired?
DeleteLike EDITH, I carry my Samsung Galaxy android phone with me all the time, so it's does the job of tracking my steps, reminding me of calendar appointments, camera, etc. That's enough. I don't need devices telling me/nagging me to do things like exercise!
ReplyDeleteFYI, I could never wear an Apple watch since I get allergic reactions wearing plastic bands (past experience). I wear a regular stainless steel Swiss military watch.
P.S. My android phone is 3.5 years old. I want to get a new one but the newer Samsung phones no longer have a headphone jack or mini-SD card slot. I still use my wired earphones when listening to audiobooks when going out for solo walks. I hate wearing wireless earbuds. A set of noise-cancelling over-the-ear headphones would be nice, but they are $$.
DeleteThe standard band is not plastic!
DeleteOK ANON, it still looks synthetic. And since I have allergic reactions to many things, I'm sticking to my stainless steel analog watch & Samsung smartphone.
DeleteGrace, I think most of them are silicone. Is that as irritating to your skin?
DeleteWell, I have never tried wearing silicone. But the bulky size of the Apple Watch is another turn-off, so I will still pass!
DeleteI am with you on preferring corded earbuds. I hated when the iPhone stopped having the separate jack. There were times I would be monitoring council meetings on the train home and trying to balance charging my almost dead phone with using the earbuds so I could hear better than just mashing the phone against my ear as hard as possible!
DeleteDEANA: So you find it helpful having all that health monitoring information?
ReplyDeleteThat's nuts that it doesn't come with a compatible plug!
ReplyDeleteI've worn a Fitbit watch for years. It does most of the tracking stuff although I frequently question it's conclusions about my sleep or my readiness to exercise.
I love my Swiss watch, I got it 2 years ago! Yeah, when I was a kid in the 1980s, everyone wore a Swatch watch. I tried wearing one, and got a rash from the plastic band right away. I have the same problem even wearing a leather wristband, so it's stainless steel (or gold) for me.
ReplyDeleteOur daughter, when she heard that her dad was having A-Fib, got him a Samsung watch for Father's Day. It gives him all kinds of heart information, very helpful when he's seeing another one of his many doctors.
ReplyDeleteI also hope your Fourth of July heart alert was benign, Hallie.
A friend who lives alone had a freak accident a year and a half ago. She fell while taking a shower, blacked out and broke BOTH ankles, one of them virtually shattered. It took her an hour to pull herself along the short hallway to the phone to call for help, naked and shivering. (She's a hoot. Whenever anyone asks her how the heck she broke both ankles she just tells them she was skydiving.) Now she wears an Apple Watch at all times, because she still has not fully recovered, and at 77, probably won't. And it's way cooler than wearing one of those "help, I've fallen" necklaces like my mom has.
Whoa, Karen: that is a cautionary tale if ever there was one. Best wishes for ongoing recovery to your friend.
DeleteUgh, since I live alone, I do feel for what happened to your friend. I have had a couple of close calls in the shower myself. My late dad had never had a mobile device, just a landline. After suffering 2 falls at the age of 90, I urged him to get one of those "alert necklaces". Of course he refused. #LudditeCurmudgeon (Amanda's hashtag fits him perfectly).
DeleteKaren, “help I’ve fallen” pendants are also available for the wrist. No other bells or whistles just the help summons. Better than the pendant, a friend of my mother was always banging the pendant when she took laundry from her top loading machine. So many false alarms, These have been available for many years. Elisabeth
DeleteThanks, Elisabeth! I'll look into that.
DeleteAnkle injuries are brutal. What a difficult row she's had to hoe
DeleteShe has, especially since she's overweight and not fit. Also a cautionary tale!
DeleteHard to type this morning with my fingers stuffed in my ears... #LudditeCurmudgeon
ReplyDeleteLOL, Amanda!
DeleteAmanda, thanks for the smile. Elisabeth
DeleteFor most of technology, I'm with you!
DeleteFrom Jay Roberts because the system won't let me post under my name for some reason:
ReplyDeleteAs someone who still uses a flip phone, I'm far closer to humming with fingers in my ears than I am keeping up to date on the latest in technology. My phone does what I need it to do...make and take phone calls and text when I need to. I don't need to be able to run the nuclear defense system from my watch.
And as a devoted worshipper of physical media, I surely don't need to be able to stream music and make Spotify rich while screwing over the people who actually create said music.
So I'll sing a song of sixpence while remembering to wash my hands before sticking them in my ears. :D
Jay, HA HA! I'm that way with almost all gadgets. I make exceptions for smart phones, smart watches, and immersion blenders.
DeleteHallie, love my immersion blender!!
DeleteJay, my husband has gone back to a flip phone. His does many of the new fangled things and actually cost more than “regular” Samsung phones. — Pat S
DeleteHallie, I ordered a new sonicare toothbrush and it came with a charging cord that luckily works with one of my charging cubes. Can't tell you which one. My previous toothbrush sat on a stand that plugged into the wall. This is life as we know it.
ReplyDeleteImagine how much electricity we could save if we just UNPLUGGED the stuff that's OFF.
DeleteI have a new Apple Watch, a birthday gift from my daughter after she watched me fall! It was a refurbished model from Amazon, less than half price. Mine is gold as that was the choice! I love it. And it came with a charger and plug it’s fun to track things like steps Was amazed that I walk nearly a mile a day just in the house! So far no more falls so haven’t tried the emergency option.
ReplyDeleteHallie I’m jealous of your red watch! And I’m so glad you have it. Anyone of a certain age and who lives alone please take note
And I've figured out how to make my computer call it...
DeleteIf every device is Apple, you can synch them. Your phone can find your watch and vice versa.
DeleteAs I may have mentioned before, a cell phone is not my friend. I do have one (old), and I can text. Apparently, I have to relearn how to make a real phone call every time – do I add the one, or not, because it will yell at me either way. It sits on the dining room counter, charging so I know where it is. It yells at me if someone gets lost in Timbuctoo – over and over again, and I can’t turn the darn thing off. If I go to town, (rare once a month thing) or am somewhere in public and I have remembered to take it, it will have a fit warning me that it is about to top up my account. Then 10 mins later, it will top up my account and go on about that. I don’t care – why doesn’t it ever do that if it is just sitting on the counter?
ReplyDeleteThis week my ipod was full – somehow it was full of junk – I think pdf files that sometimes download with the audiobook, and never delete when you delete the book. Anyway, it needed a reformat. Righhtt….tried to save the books in iTunes – yup done. (Now I can’t find what file it put where on the computer). OK. Reformat. Wait…., it’s back, and now I have to put everything back in. Right, English, Canada, no I don’t want a password. No I don’t want a password, NNNOOO I don’t want a password….
Put next to the aforementioned iPhone. They magically talk to each other. Make lunch as they are still chatting. No I don’t want a password – on either. Now they need to confirm that this conversation that has been going forever, needs to have a magic number. Send to land line – Apple doesn’t like landlines, so send to computer. Lost it. Send to iphone which is sitting right there. Forget the number before I get it all typed in – fat fingers, and it goes poof. Send it again. Write it down, and then put it in. ok. Well not really. Although this is the only password that I have for all Apple things in the house, it can’t find the Apple Cloud. I could have told them that as the Harrumper filled it up with foolishness filming who knows what when he had not 1 but 2 drones a few years ago. Both flew into the Atlantic less than a week after he got them and are currently near Portugal probably still filling up the missing iCloud account. Meanwhile that cloud is crowded and I have no way to dump it, but Apple reminds me regularly that the cloud is full – would I like to buy more space?
So today, I am reloading all of the books – manually. It means going to the library, putting a hold, waiting… That means I can take a pencil, sit on a chair, and read and mark a seed catalogue. Nobody or thing is yelling at me.
OMG! I can relate. SO MUCH time wasted. Sheesh.
DeleteOh Margo, I can so relate, too! Just purchased an iphone--had one once before and it was fine. I needed to do things I didn't think I could do on old phone--new iphone was a NIGHTMARE! No charging plug for starters. As noted by everyone else, no old cubes fit. Go to store and buy new plug. Can't do one thing on the phone without being asked for Apple account. Apple account set up tells me my birth year is not correct--over and over and over again. Sure, I wouldn't mind being a few years, heck even a decade or so younger, but it is what it is and I am not yet so senile I can't remember the year when I was born. Apple password is incorrect. I just created it, entered it, wrote it down, and 2 seconds later it is incorrect. By this point I didn't need an electronic watch to tell me my blood pressure was entering dangerous territory. I took it back. Store clerk: 'Ma'am, where's the top half of the box?' Me: 'The cat puked in it. I can go home and retrieve it if you'd like.' So yeah, fingers in ears frequently.
DeleteThe Apple account system is a software nightmare, but the iPhone is the best phone available. They last longer with fewer problems. My iPhone came with a charging cord. It is below the plastic in the bottom of the box. The old plugs work just fine with it.
DeleteMy brother bought an Apple Watch two years ago. The first few times I saw him with it, it was always nagging him to breathe or to move or I don’t remember what. I found it very invasive. Thinking of it now, I didn’t see him wearing it for some time.
ReplyDeleteAs for myself, I don’t wear my cell phone on me all day , only when I go out to walk to soothe my daughter’s worry. I also bring it in the bathroom when I shower since I read Karen’s friend fall the first time she write about it.
You can count me among those sticking their fingers in their ears and humming
Danielle
I now take my cell phone into the bathroom with me, too, Danielle, even if my husband is also there. He is so hard of hearing now that he would never know if I was yelling for help if his hearing aids were out. Better safe than crawling through the house broken and naked.
DeleteBring it into the bathroom: Check!
DeleteDANIELLE: I live alone, so that's a good tip. Will do that from now on.
DeleteYep, I bring mine in with me when I shower. Had an older friend twenty years ago have a stroke while showering. I’m sure she didn’t even have a cell phone in 2001, but I think about her if I shower when no one else is home. — Pat S
DeleteFingers in my ears and humming as loud as I can. Anything that startles me awake with beeps or alarms in the middle of the night, when there is nothing I can do about it, is unnecessary. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteI turn the sound off on my cell and miraculously because it's 'mated' with my watch, it goes off there, too.
DeletePuzzled, Hallie. Thought you wrote that on 4th of July it alerted you in middle of night about your heart beat? Did you not see the alert until you turned sound back on? Elisabeth
DeleteGrace, my wrist is the opposite of yours…stainless steel on it rash is right there. Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteWhat are MFA codes?
ReplyDeleteI’m fascinated by this! And charging cords are so frustrating… I think in the UK or maybe it is the EU they just made it mandatory that charging cords are standardized and there is only one kind. Didn’t I read that somewhere? That does seem so logical!
ReplyDeleteI have a Fitbit, which I absolutely adore. I like the idea of an Apple Watch , I have to admit, but they are so big!
Can you use it like a phone?
Yes it is just like a phone (like Dick Tracy had on his shoe!) and can record your voice and convert to text, or you can call directly, etc. Exactly like a cell phone. It is super cool.
DeleteYeah, it's a real "speak to the hand" moment
DeleteHANK: Yes, the EU passed a law in 2022 requiring small mobile devices have universal USB-C cords by 2024. Apple is probably not happy about this law.
Deletehttps://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/eu-adopts-law-requiring-universal-usb-c-phone-chargers-by-2024/
Neither my husband nor I have an Apple Watch, but our two grandkids - 10 & 12 - do. It is nice to be able to be in contact with them when they are at school or where ever they are!
ReplyDeleteMy granddaughter has a GIZMO which is specifically for kids. Much less functionality but shows where they ARE.
DeleteOh, Margo, I feel for you! I don't wear a watch, and don't want to, but have been looking at the oura ring. A friend had a episode of afib and her doc was very excited that her data could be downloaded from her Apple watch, so I have been thinking (after one fall in the bath when I was alone in the house) that perhaps it is time to think of such things. However, I have a friend who is a cardiologist, and when asked, he didn't give the idea a hearty recommendation. What to do? I wonder if the ring has a special charging cable?
ReplyDeleteI suppose it can feel like a mixed blessing from an expert's viewpoint.
DeleteOn the other hand, my hub has sent EKGs to his Doc when we aren't in town, so they can get an idea of what's going on. I have definitely used all this as a clue in the upcoming A POISONOUS PALATE:)
DeleteDeana, do you wear it to sleep?
ReplyDeleteELISABETH: Sorry to hear that. Everyone's immune system is different. Both my family doctor & allergist recommended wearing stainless steel or gold. I have had no problems with either.
ReplyDeleteI felt the same, but it hasn't been additive. Means I"m not constanty searching for my cell.
ReplyDeleteLike Edith and a few other commenters, I don't have a fitness watch, but do use my I-phone to monitor my steps. The I-phone has a Fitness app, which I believe is similar to parts of the technology of the Apple watch. I set a goal for active calories and it checks in with me about how I'm doing. It also gives me monthly challenges which I have obsessively completed. This month's challenge is to walk or run 6.14 miles on 14 different days during January. Because I am worried about snow and ice which will limit my ability to be outside, I've completed that challenge every day this month so far. The forecast calls for ice and snow this weekend, but warming by Tuesday or Wednesday next week, so I should be ok. I'm a little concerned about my obsession with checking my ring, though. One of these months something will happen and I won't meet my challenge. And the world will go on.
ReplyDeleteWOW: " walk or run 6.14 miles on 14 different days during January"
DeleteThat's a great fitness challenge, GILLIAN. I could probably do that distance several times a week this month. But like you, I also worry about the forecasted snow & ice that is coming in multiple storms today & later on in the week.
DeleteIf I need to, I can walk laps in my open-plan sitting room / kitchen. I put on a podcast or NPR and get my 10k steps in safely without ice, snow, or traffic!
DeleteEdith, it's way too boring to walk in my small house... but maybe if I was listening to a podcast... or an audio book.. hmmmm.
DeleteI walk circuits in the house when I'm chatting with friends on the phone, or listening to an audio book.
DeleteI also walked laps in my apartment in the winter several years ago while rehabbing my broken ankle. So yes, I can do 10k-12K steps but going round in that limited loop so many times was pretty boring.
DeleteNeat device for indoor exercise, called a treadmill.
DeleteSorry, ANON, I am a cheapskate. Walking should be a cost-free exercise!
DeleteAnd I’ll add to Grace’s comment: walking should not take up floor space larger than your feet. Elisabeth
DeleteI still swear by my daytimer. Paper. Fits in my pocket.
ReplyDeleteMulti-factor authentication (it's called 2-factor authentication here in Canada) to provide added login security purposes to your bank, other accounts.
ReplyDeleteAha - I know what that is. Big time sink despite the security.
ReplyDeleteI wore a Fitbit for years. I started with one that clipped onto my bra, but the charger wasn't very robust and broke after about 18 months. My brother gave me a Fitbit watch a few months later, and that did sleep monitoring, which I liked. I only needed to charge it about once every 6 days, so not quite a week. I wore it until the display on it suddenly quit. I could have kept wearing it and accessed the data on my computer, but it just seemed stupid to wear something with a blank screen. I haven't replaced it yet, but have thought about it.
ReplyDeleteMy husband has an Apple watch (version 1) that he got at a work function. Still works fine. He puts it on the charger when he goes to sleep and usually a couple hours later he wakes up and puts it back on fully charged. But I don't think it does sleep monitoring. Surprisingly, he still has the original band on it. I went through about 5 bands on my Fitbit.
Judy, I wonder if there is an APP for your phone that would count your steps?
ReplyDeleteGrace: the health information would be helpful if I needed to monitor it. On the downside, I can see it causing major anxiety for some who are unhealthfully fixated on this information.
ReplyDeleteHallie: Yes, I wear it while I sleep. I usually wear my watches, when I had a functioning ones, while sleeping.
I wore a Fitbit for years, back when you could clip them on something. I tried a couple of wrist ones but gave up on them because I don't like wearing a watch in the house, and I can't type comfortably when wearing one. But I do have the latest Android phone which does step tracking etc. and I try to keep it with me all the time. If I lived alone I might consider an Apple watch, however, for the fall alert function.
ReplyDeleteOK, I was wondering if you actually needed to monitor several health conditions. I agree with you that being told what your health data/levels are may actually be not good for one's mental health!
ReplyDeleteHumming? I'm singing loudly! When we bought a Sleep Number mattress I declined to give the information that would let me look online to see how I was sleeping each night. Come on. My most advanced tech is probably my iphone8, the unfancy version.
ReplyDeleteHallie my watch came with its charger and it fits into the same dock as my iPhone and iPad. Did you buy it from Apple? I only wear mine sporadically but always when I travel or go out alone. My peeve is that it needs charging every night ( and I don’t wear it at night as it tells me to stand up and move!
ReplyDeleteChargers should be included. Period.
ReplyDeleteI like some technology. But I love not wearing a watch. Once I got a cell phone and my watch broke, I never replaced it, and I don't want to go back. So I will be passing on the Apple Watch/Fit bit etc. stuff.
No charger? Yikes back to Apple for that. I have a "smart" watch of another brand and love it. It does not, however, have an emergency call button. Now that would be a useful thing.
ReplyDeleteHallie, I relate to loving red, but still love wearing a 'real' watch. Makes me feel good. My cell phone already rules my life - although losing it is a daily occurrence. I'm trying to picture you recharging it while wearing it in bed. I'd be tangled up in the dark. Must be missing something here. No charger provided is super annoying. I purchased a new IPhone in November and, of course, every single plug, charger, connection, car charger, etc. no longer matched. Cost as much for the connections as the phone. Since when have consumers become responsible for buying a lamp cord when they buy a lamp! Fun story.
ReplyDeleteI have a confession to make. I've had an Apple Watch for quite some time and never opened it. It came as part of a phone deal (yeah, they saw me coming), but I already had three phones and two iPads using up my data usage. But, as often as I dig in my purse for my iPhone to check the time, maybe it's time (pun intended) to try the Apple Watch.
ReplyDeleteI love watches but I'm a vintage watch gal. Give me a mother of pearl watch face with swirly numbers and leather/cloth strap - swoon! Despite being an Apple addict since day one - when they brought those square Mac computers into the library science lab in 1989 - I have never wanted an Apple watch. Maybe...someday...maybe...
ReplyDeleteI think I can answer the queston of the day like this: I had to be badgered into replacing my flip phone with an i-phone some years ago. It is not true that I would write with a quill pen if I could - some of my nearest&dearest like to tell people that. I do remember when "cut and paste" meant getting the scissors and Elmers, so yes, technology has its wonderful uses. It also takes up a lot of time and effort to manage and maintain, so I have to be convinced it is worth it and and is not just an expenive toy. (Yes, after years of writing by hand in notebooks - I just found a stash on a back shelf! - I do compose on a computer now. Yes, it's great in many ways. And no, I am still not a great typist.)
ReplyDeleteI love the mix of high and low tech, like seeing people use Bluesky to express their fountain pen fandom!
DeleteLaughing!
DeleteJudy, this is one of the reasons I'm considering one. Anonymous, there are - but you still have to carry the phone.
ReplyDeleteWhat Grace said. And yes, it's often referred to as "2-factor authentication" as well. Unfortunately, with my company planning a spin-off, I have 3 different apps to use for various systems, plus codes that come in via text. Not great when your goal is to put away the phone during business hours.
ReplyDeleteLike Jenn, I preferred a vintage watch, in my case the Omega my great-aunt got when she retired in 1969. But one day I woke up with shooting pains down my arm (don’t worry, just an epic pinched nerve) that had me grabbing my husband’s Apple Watch to do the ECG (yes, I know, it tells you it can’t diagnose heart attacks). I decided my job was stressful enough and women’s heart issues present in non-standard ways enough that an Apple Watch would be good. I immediately turned off all the breathe/stand up nagging because I didn’t need something else to make me feel bad about myself. And yes! It helps me find my phone.
ReplyDeleteI love my Fitbit, which also guilts me into getting up and moving, thinks doing the laundry is my workout (evidently, I toss things into the washing machine quite vigorously?) and, most usefully, tells me how my sleep went the night before (usually lousy. I've discovered I'm awake for 12-15% of every night.)
ReplyDeleteAlas, I broke the not-great rubbery wrist strap and so all that exquisite tech is laid low by a thing that's been around since 1885. There's a lesson there, yes?
Oh I just love reading about everyone's different take on technology etc. I try to keep an open mind about it all and learn what I need to to "keep up" with work etc. but am someone who tries to disconnect from technology as much as possible. I work providing telehealth so once my work day is finished, I cannot wait to get back to "real life" activities etc. I recently had all of the batteries in my old watches replaced so that I don't have to carry my phone with me for checking the time. It's just too tempting to stop on my outdoor walks to check my email and texts. I prefer to be in the moment as much as possible. I do jump on my phone each day to read newsletters and email, but I keep my phone in another room and check it when I want to. I grew up in the 80s where having a landline was our form of "connection" and even as a teenager I hated talking on the phone with friends. It wasn't a great day when my best friend visited and found my "list of excuses to get off the phone" on the wall in the den where we kept our phone! I just know I am happiest when I am not tethered to my phone. (Also I am a mental health counselor so I really try to walk-the-walk!).
ReplyDelete