I live and breathe the technology world on an almost daily basis. So needless to say it is hard to escape. I am truly thankful for the advancement of technology and what it has done to make life easier, but I also hope the rate at which we are disengaging from old school communication slows. I will forever be a fan of a solid handshake, eye contact, and a spirited verbal conversation.

There is more to life than flickering pixels and online avatars. More than status updates and Google alerts. There are things that I miss. There are things that are legitimate, like family and friends and loved ones, the chance to talk face to face and not just to a computer screen, the feeling of actually hugging someone you care about and not just wishing that you could.

Our gadgets are the at the centre of our livelihood these days. They keep us connected to the people in our lives, they keep us up-to-date on what’s going on in the world, they remind us of our obligations and they help us pass the time when we’re waiting in line. They remind us to exercise, they entertain us, they play music to lull us to sleep and they capture precious moments on camera. What would we do without them?

When we treat our work as life — instead of a way to live — we fall out of balance and into unhealthy habits. – Jeff Goins

The internet. The thing that is so unbelievably useful in uniting the world, providing communication, tools, knowledge, and more, and the thing that also so easily sucks you into a black hole, eats up your time, and leaves you with strained eyes and the realization that you have just wasted hours on a social networking site. The internet is both what provides me the opportunity to stay in touch with those I love and what gives me the opportunity to hone my procrastination skills. It is amazing and also sometimes terrible. Having the internet at all is a privilege. When we find ourselves upset when something doesn’t load or load quickly enough. It says we (I included) have become too consumed, too obsessed, too concerned with what’s going on every second of every day with everyone else.  I’m guilty of it, and while I love sharing what’s going on sometimes a little respite from the world wide web is a good thing.

Sure, I like being connected. And, yes, I love technology and all the things it does for us.  And I don’t have to feel bad about that!  And neither do you.  But taking a break to take in what’s around you is so necessary sometimes. It’s necessary for our sanity, for remembering that life is what’s around us and not on a computer screen, for realizing that we are privileged, for making sure we value our surroundings, and the people that help make our lives better.