ST. CROIX INSIGHTS

Turning off technology: it’s something I’ve failed at for as long as I can remember. Technology has become a way of life for me. It’s an ongoing feeling that I feel like I always need to check my email and phone. If I had one habit I’d like to change, it’s to be less dependent on technology.

Granted, I’m getting old; I know I don’t show it, but growing up, technology wasn’t a big part of our lives. Back in the day, I remember having a TV channel changer that had a 30-foot cord. It was considered cool back then. Today, cords are old school except for charging your phone, and soon Apple will capture the cordless charging marketplace.

I’ve been trying to not check my emails from Friday at 5 p.m. until late afternoon on Sunday. Some weekends are better than others, where I can resist checking during that time frame.

But it’s a struggle, and I feel the need to keep up with what’s happening.

I’ve always liked the touch and feel of an actual book. I never understood the appeal of reading a book from a device. Recently, I purchased an iPad Pro for work and it turns out I enjoy reading books in that format. I like the portability of not having to carry a book or two with me. Plus, with each book I read on the iPad, I can highlight and takes notes, which is something I liked about the old-school physical books. Turns out the iPad saves me the time of retyping my notes from the books I read.

Technology isn’t going to leave my life anytime soon. I’ll continue to have off-limit times for checking emails and texts and focus on family and quiet time. It’s not unreasonable to have a day of rest each week from technology. Turning off technology can change your life if you allow it to.

Now, if I could just teach my youngest this lesson about technology and limiting its power in their lives. That would be great.

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