Thursday, October 22, 2009

You Capture - Technology

Recently, my daughter asked me if I was alive before television was invented. I feigned offense but only half-heartedly because I remember asking my mother the same question. OK, so I did point out that, "I'm not that old" with mock indignation. Honestly, it is astounding to consider the advancement of technology in my lifetime. I mean, I made it through school and college leafing through musty Encyclopedias and wading through the old card-file system at the library. And I either wrote--literally--all of my papers or plunk, plunk, plunked them out on a typewriter. And, boy, was I a mean typist!

Being the education lover that I am, I occasionally long for a re-do. Can you imagine doing school with the WHOLE world right there at your fingertips? Perhaps that's why I homeschool, to live a whole other academic life vicariously through my children.

Certainly technology has opened so many possibilities. It does, however, also draw a two-edged sword--the information world is so very vast, it is easy to get lost. And spend A LOT of time getting lost. I have to be very careful I don't spend too much time on the computer. It is so easy to sit down "just to check email" and, an hour later, find myself checking out the very latest in homeschool science curriculum. There are two culprits that suck the time right out of my day when I'm on the computer:

Facebook



and Blog World.


Of course, a close second time waster is the TV, but I make it a policy not to have it on during the day. Trying to teach school whilst catching up on the latest soap is not all that conducive to learning.

20 points if you can guess this show:


Make that 5 points. That was too easy. I was going to hit you with this next photo, but couldn't pass up the frame with Kramer in it.

OK, 20 points if you can guess the episode. Not that you win a prize or anything.


There is one piece of technology that does not distract me: the phone. I have a strong aversion to the phone. I don't know if this is because of my college job as one of those annoying people who interrupts you during your dinner to tell you that you will be receiving a free gift in the mail if you just sign up for something. Or perhaps it's the fact that, even if the children are on the far side of the house when I pick up the phone and dial the number, as soon as the other party picks up, I'm like a magnet. Or maybe I'm just shallow and tire of the small talk that has to take place at the beginning of every phone call.

Whatever the case, if you called my cellphone, you would likely get my voice mail which says something along the lines of, I am not answering because I usually forget to take the cellphone with me. And don't bother to leave a message because I rarely check.


I don't text either. In fact, I'm a texting dork. And of course I have no interest in owning an iPhone or any device of equal caliber. So on the off-chance that I am required to text someone, I still do the ol' 4-4, 3-3, 5-5-5, 5-5-5, 6-6-6. (20 more points if you can figure out what that spells).

So I guess you could say I have a love/hate relationship with technology. But I guess that's probably how most people feel...you love your computer until it crashes or freezes. Then not so much.

For more technologically inspired photos, visit I Should Be Folding Laundry.

16 comments:

CrossView said...

You know, I actually miss the old card catalog. There was something so satisfying in finding a book through it.

And I HATE the telephone. Hate it. Hate, hate, hate it. I have no explanation except it sucks the time right out of the day.

Love the colors in the cell, btw!

Teacher Mommy said...

Well, it's Seinfeld, obviously, but I'm not sure which episode. Maybe the one where George's fiancee dies? And he's at the funeral?

And you totally texted "Hello."

:D

Unknown said...

I have a Trac Fone. I rarely use it. If I had a real cell phone, I'd most likely use it to talk to the Boss when I am not with her. I do get the whole computer waste of time thingy, one of the reasons that I dumped Facebook and Myspace. One blog is enough. And yes, the moment the phone rings my kids come running, noise makers in hand, asking only the most important questions.

Darcie Johnson said...

After returning to college after 20 something years, I can tell you that technology sure has made it easier. We can even attend class on-line from home. Writing a paper is nothing and even with spellcheck and the thesaurus at your finger tips, most younger students don't use it. We were laughing the other day talking about carbon paper and write out! Those were the days!

tippytoe foxtrot said...

I remember asking my mom if television was in color when she was a kid. She loved that!

I never check my messages and always forget my phone. I think I need a message like yours!

Great shots!

Lala K said...

I have to agre with you about the cell phone. I actually called Verizon & had the voicemail disabled. That helped alot. Nice shots!

Jade @ Tasting Grace said...

I hear you on the technology time-suck thing. My mac and I spend hours together every day. We don't have TV in our house though. We used to and realized how quickly we stopped doing other things like reading or going out on the town. So we nixed the TV. But we have Hulu and Netflix for the stuff we really want to watch.
As for the cell phone? I avoid mine like the plague cuz I hate talking on the phone.

Great captures though!

Amy @ Cheeky Cocoa Beans said...

Great shots! And I agree with you on every point you made, from the "I'll just check my emails..." to the forgotten cell phone! ;) I have a nephew who could tell you which episode the Seinfield pics were from as well as the diaglogue. That's just a little scary...especially since he's in his early 20s!!

ballast photography said...

I am SO with you on the phone thing...I really thought it was just me, but reading through the comments i seem to be in good company. Well, me, my daughter, and my best friend (with who I speak on the phone Maybe six times a year.)

As far as the Seinfeld frame, I think it is one of the episodes where George is serving on the Susan foundation board after her demise...

ballast photography said...

P.S. LOVE the new photo on your masthead!!!! And thanks for your encouraging words over at my place today :)

Prairie Lady said...

Wow those are really great pictures! Awesome!

Saj said...

Oh, the card catalog! I remember doing my term paper in high school, writing all my notes out on note cards, poring over texts in the library! Think of what it must be like now...

Great post, and great captures.

Mominin said...

Great shots! I so hate the telephone, also! But I love all other forms of technology.

Linda said...

I do NOT like talking on the phone. Don't watch Seinfeld and the only thing I ever texted was "ok".
My brother once asked our mom if she had sidewalks when she was young. :o)

Alice said...

great shots! i guess if i had to pick my technology soft spot - it would have to be my blue-ray high def TV. i just love it for movies :O). thanks for sharing.

i didn't post this week, but feel free to come on over anytime and visit me in The Shadow of the Cross :O).

Melissa Lea said...

I love the cell phone picture. It is groovy. ;)

This is my first time at your blog; love the design!