When Technology Interferes with Relationship

Technology is cool. You can do so much with it. Social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and other such sites make it easy for people to keep up with you and for you to keep up with the ones you love. You can even update your Facebook status with your phone, in much the same way Twitter works. You can tell people exactly where you are and what you are doing minute by minute. Now, personally, I think this can get out of hand quickly...but that's another blog altogether. No one cares that you just ate a yummy snickers bar, or that you are leaving the grocery store where you bought bug spray and spam. Seriously, no one cares. But, I digress. The fact that all of these updates can take place via cell phone remotely is pretty cool technology. But, it gets in the way of relationships. For instance, let's say I'm at home having a wonderful evening with my family. I decide to update my Facebook status with "Having a wonderful time with my family at home. Enjoying the kids and wife!" If I am taking the time to get on Facebook to update my status with this message, I am no longer spending a wonderful evening with my kids and wife. I am now wasting the wonderful evening I could have had with them while I am away from them updating my Facebook. Does that make sense? Or let's say I make a trip out to California to visit my family, but I spend a majority of the time clicking away on my phone, rather than actually engaging with my family. If I spend most of my time updating my Twitter or Facebook, I am missing wonderful opportunities to spend precious time with my family. This is getting ridiculous people! No one cares that you are sitting on a couch chatting with your mom, except your Mom...and she would rather you put down the phone and actually chat with her. Put your phone down and show your Mom some respect and attention. The friends you have who are apparently dying to find out what you are up to at that exact moment can wait until you are alone. Don't let technology become your master and miss out on opportunities to actually spend time with the people you love and who love you. The world will always have phones, computers, and some form of social networking website. The world won't always have that loved one. Someday that loved one will be gone and you'll wish you spent more time with them, rather than updating your Facebook status.