WI FI - Gotta Love it!

As I sit here creating a post I have to say that the world has changed A LOT since I was a kid. When I was a kid we would probably be sitting around the living room watching T.V. my dad and I may be playing cribbage or kings in the corner. But in 2006, I am sitting on the couch updating my blog using wireless access (and yes it is mine I'm not stealing it!), my sister-in-law is blogging on the rocking chair next to me and my husband is sitting at our desk top also blogging - at least that is what he tells me he is doing. That makes three of us using the internet at the same exact time and NONE of us has to wait for the screen to refresh after 30 seconds! It sure is great but it does make me wonder what this does to the "family unit".

Granted for us this isn't a normal picture and our son is not quite 2 and is fast asleep in bed. But think about how common this is for families with teenagers. I would see this as a common occurrence...oh wait another piece of technology to the forefront. My sister-in-law's cell just rang and now she is texting someone too! So many means of communication yet are we truely communicating?

My sister-in-law (AKA traveling chica) has a really good post today (or yesterday) about emailing being the chickenshit way of communication. Then at the same time my cousin (AKA Tadych's) had a posting about the use of Ipods. Are all of these forms of "communication" making us become a society that can't communicate? I read a great article a while back called "A Nation of Wimps" (it is posted on the Tadych's link) which talked about how kids don't need to make a decision for themselves, they don't need to have any problem solving skills because they can, call, text or email mom and dad and ask what to do at any time. I just learned last weekend that you can now order pizza over the internet too. Another instance where you don't need any personal communication.

Is there a point when we are too connected? I would say yes. Do we all fall into that trap? Yes. For example I have a personal cell phone, a work cell phone and access to my network and email from work at home. I try hard to balance work and home all the time. Being a professional and being a mom is a hard balance. I can see how some "power hungry" people can easily get wrapped up in always being connected. Yet I have to say as a working mom there are also a lot of pluses to being able to connect at all times. When I do have extra work that has to be done, I can still pick up Hunter at normal times and then finish my work after he goes to bed, never disrupting his routine or our time together.

I guess the moral is that as long as there are checks and balances and you have good communication with your spouse (because I am a firm believer that your relationship is one of the most important things if not the most important thing for your children) being connected can be a very good thing. That and flexible schedules have changed the world for working moms in a very good way.

PS. as I was spell checking this post the funny thing is that this "technology" isn't up with the lingo because Blog, Blogging, Texting and Emailing all showed up as unknown words.