Devices

Not that long ago a mate of mine got a desktop computer.  It was 450 mg.  I thought at the time, why would you need something so big?  Now 450 mg is small.  Memory in the hundreds of Gigs is desirable.
There was an ad on tv that showed a girl doing her projects.  An elderly neighbour said to her something like “good to see you on your computer.”  The girl replied “what’s that?”  She was talking about “computer.”  It sounded pretentious, but it was true.  They don’t say “computer” now, they say “device.”  There are so many things that do the same thing.  Desktops, Laptops, Ipads, Phones, Watches.  My latest laptop can be turned over and used as a tablet and has a touch screen.  All that was unheard of once.  Now it is common place.
The predominant device seems to be the phone.  They reckon there are more mobiles than people in this country.  They are really handy.  They are good for making and receiving calls, and they are also good for connecting to the internet, messaging, listening to music, photo’s, and telling the time.  So much is crammed into one thing.  The addition of aps. means they can serve a multitude of purposes.  To me they are a step in the right direction.
I am not one to resent change.  It happens all the time.  If I fail to embrace it then bye bye me as I get left behind.  Change to me can be used both for good things and bad.
There is a downside to devices though.  Someone shared on facebook a video that shocked, but was true.  The caption was “if you are texting, you are not driving.”  However, it was something else I saw recently that had me think, “you are right.”
It concerned the message I am sending to kids when I am on my device all the time.  I was at an appointment and saw a mum being followed by her kid clutching a tablet.  Another time I saw a kid in a shopping trolley on their Ipad.  One only has to be in a crowded place to see many staring at a screen in front of their face.  More than once I have needed to walk around someone, as I was unsure if they were aware of their surroundings.  No doubt, everyone has numerous examples, but there seems to be one thing in common.  The person on the device is not engaged with their surroundings. 
When kids see me on my device all the time, they get the message that that thing must be really important.  It must be important, to neglect all else for it.  I am fond of running kids down because of their reliance on devices, but I need to ask myself are they just mimicking me?
I know what it is like to sit in say a restaurant, and have the person I am there for spend all their time on a device.  I feel I may as well not be there.  They say that getting a message releases a drug in us that satisfies.  It is something we are happy to repeat often.
To me, there is a time and place for anything good.  When my actions negatively impact another, it is not necessarily the time or the place.