“I’m from Jersey and we multi task.”
With that the room went from silent to still.
The confrontation had been building since the woman talking on the cell phone entered the waiting area. Obviously unwilling to cut her phone conversation short the woman on the phone was talking about digital screen time and the possible monitoring apps that are available. The woman was explaining to the person on the other end of the line that while she thought her husband had already installed the app on the television at home and on her seven year old son’s tablet, the app was not in place.
Earlier, during a pause in the conversation, the woman attempted to check in for her appointment with one of the three receptionists. Following the posted policy of the office, the receptionist answered that she would help the woman when she was off the phone.
When the phone call finally ended the woman apologized for being in the office while she was on the phone and explained that she was talking to a mental health provider about her son who was already showing suicidal signs. The receptionist said that it was not problem and that the was just following office policy and that she could now check the woman in.
At this point the woman made the Jersey comment and the already silent room became still as well.
Adults and Technology Are Often Worse Than Teens and Technology
Too often parents complain about the time that their children and teenagers spent glued to their screens, while at the same time these parents are tethered to their cell phones and work laptops. If you have ever found yourself texting or talking to a friend or coworker about your child’s technology obsession then you likely also fall into the same category.
As people of all ages continue to look for ways to connect with people instead of online, it should come as no surprise that there are many parents who are looking for ways to make sure that they can find ways to spend times in the great outdoors away from screens and immersed in experiences.
What Are You Doing to Combat Your Addiction to Technology?
The great outdoors is perhaps one of the best ways to distance both adults and children from technology. Fortunately, getting outside does not even have to involve a grand trip or an expensive vacation. Many people, in fact, find a perfect connection to nature by spending time in the garden. From the time that it takes to design, order, or construct an Amish built shed to the work that goes into planting and nurturing a garden, there are many hours that can become technology free.
Planting and harvesting your own family’s food, in fact, provides a way to step back to a time when things were much simpler. No cell phones, no food preservatives, parents who spend time in the garden either by themselves or with their children can find a way to escape the technology that too often runs our lives.
Extending the metaphor, Amish built sheds and other kinds of wooden sheds and out building should last at least 15 to 20 years. Unlike our phones and laptops which so many of use need to replace every year or two, Amish built sheds harken back to a time when people invested their time and energy is buildings that stood the test of time.
In fact, Amish built barns are increasingly more common in many parts of the country where people respect tradition and family time, both things that are far from the technology that can rule our lives. If you are looking for a way to pull yourself and your children away from technology, gardening may be the perfect solution. Most Amish furniture and Amish built sheds are made from oak, cherry, hickory, walnut, or maple, all materials that are from nature: the great equalizer.
