digital overload

Today I read this list in the Ensign:

10 Signs of Digital Overload

1. Slipping away from activities with people to check e-mail or social networking sites.
   
2. Checking the same sites repeatedly within a short period of time.
3. Spending little time outside.
4. Finding it hard to complete a task such as writing a report without frequently breaking away to check e-mail or unrelated websites.
5. Spending little time in face-to-face interactions with friends.
6. Going online or using a digital device when you feel stressed or want to avoid an unpleasant task.
7. Family members spending most of their time at home in separate rooms interacting with screens.
8. Frequently using digital devices to entertain a child instead of talking, singing, playing, or reading with him or her.
9. Checking the computer first thing in the morning, or getting up during the night to use digital devices.
10. Spending long stretches of time surfing for content, often viewing content that is inappropriate or borderline.

I see far too many of those signs in my own life. Not that you would know it from my blog, right? I haven't been posting on here but I definitely haven't been away from technology. I've been reading lots of blogs, checking email far too often, looking at Facebook, pinning on Pinterest, playing games on my iPad, and watching TV (Downton Abbey, anyone?). Well, I consider myself called to repentance by the Ensign. I need to rethink screen time for both myself and my children. I could never give up screen time altogether. Technology is far too awesome for that. Still I think we could all use stricter limits.

computer addict

Not me.....although that would probably be true.

I mean Sawyer.



As soon as I get up from the computer chair, he is already climbing up to take my place. He knows how to get on to his favorite website Starfall to play ABC games. I love seeing him learning though I do wish I didn't have to fight yet another child for computer time.

crash

Our computer crashed...CRASHED at the end of last week. Luckily I had nearly everything (and definitely all the vital stuff) backed up on my external hard drive. Our computer guy came over to do a "simple" re-format. Didn't work. Dave tried again. Didn't work. I had several photography related things that I really needed to get finished so Dave went out on Saturday and purchased a new computer. Photoshop flies on the new computer. Its great. Our computer guy came back again yesterday to try installing a new hard drive. Didn't work AGAIN. He took the computer with him to see what's up. Last I heard it's still not working. So this is just your friendly public service announcement to back up your computer!

digi in deep

I'm taking another online scrapbooking class from Jessica Sprague. Her classes really are fantastic. This one is an advanced class. My head is swimming a bit from information overload but it so amazing to see what Photoshop can do. And again, I'm just glad that I'm actually getting some scrapbooking done. With this class each week, the first layout is a copy of Jessica's. We design the second layout ourselves trying to incorporate the things we've learned.


On a sidenote, obviously I spend a lot of time on the computer with email, blogs, forums, photo editing and scrapbooking. Last week the computer just kept getting slower and slower. On Sunday I came in to find it completely dead. It would not turn on. I didn't totally panic because I knew at least my pictures were backed up but I was worried about the rest of the things on the computer. Dave figured it was just the power supply though. Today we called our favorite computer guy. He came over with a new power supply and had it up and running within thirty minutes. Big sigh of relief!

in search of routine

What I want my day to look like:
6:00 wake, exercise, shower, scriptures, check email
8:30 kids wake up, make bed, get dressed, tidy room, chores, breakfast, piano/violin practice
10-12 schoolwork
12 lunch
1 quiet time
2 free time
6 dinner prep, blitz the house
6:30 dinner
8 snack, PJs, brush teeth, read books, SSP (scriptures, song, prayer)
9 bedtime for kids
10:30 bedtime for me

I have had that schedule posted on the fridge for weeks now. We are slowly working our way into it but I need to get in gear and make better choices. Lately, I wake up whenever Sawyer wakes up. Today it was 7:00. I eat breakfast, read my scriptures though sadly its in a rather half-hearted way, check e-mail, waste time on the computer. The kids wake up anywhere between 7 and 9 most days. Sometime in the morning I manage to get a shower. The kids get dressed by 10 most days. We have been getting schoolwork done about every third day lately. We did do it today. Yay! Friends were over before lunch today since a few still aren't in school. They play. I seem to spend the rest of the afternoon finding something to eat for hungry kids, cleaning up messes, and wasting a lot more time on the computer. I am pretty good at getting dinner ready on time because of my menu planning. In the evening, we run errands, watch a movie, read books, waste more time on the computer. We have been doing great with getting the kids to bed on time. Then, its back to the computer usually until way too late.

I think I am addicted to the computer. I read my email. I blog. I read blogs. I search for things on Google. I check my bank statements. I edit pictures. I waste a lot of time. This is something I need to work on. I know I feel a lot better about myself and my day when I do other things. Lately, I just have felt a little lost as to what other thing I should be doing. I think the kids see far too much of my back while I'm sitting at the computer. Yes, this is definitely something I need to work on. I think the computer is awesome. Most of the things I do on the computer are good and worthwhile. I just need to limit my time. Focus my time. Then get off and do something else!