Do you leave your smartphone behind at the park?

[SwallowTail]

I don't even have a smart phone, because I fear it taking over my life.

[Dicentra]

If the OP doesn't mind, I thought I'd link an NPR article:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/04/16/303749247/when-parents-are-the-ones-too-distracted-by-devices?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20140416

 

Although I see how this could be looked at as one more issue in the mommy wars, I think there's something bigger going on in our lives with technology.  The author of the above article references a Harvard psychologist regarding phone use:

 

"Steiner-Adair says one of the challenges we all face is that these devices are wired to grab our attention and keep it. She says the most successful apps are popular, even addictive, because they tap into a reward mechanism in our brains.

"Yes, when you are plugged into your screen the part of your brain that lights up is the to-do list," Steiner-Adair says. "Everything feels urgent — everything feels a little exciting. We get a little dopamine hit when we accomplish another email — check this, check that.""

 

I know folks have compared using a smart phone at the park with reading a book while at the park but I'm wondering how the two activities compare in terms of brain chemistry and how we engage.  From my understanding, reading tends to light up the serotonin pathway of the brain - the "delayed reward" pathway.  Smart phone use tends to light up the dopamine pathway - the "instant reward" pathway.  (Psych people - I know I'm waaaaaaaaaay oversimplifying this. :)  Please feel free to correct me!)  The dopamine pathway is the one that more active with addictive behaviours so maybe it follows that it really is harder to look away from the phone than it is to look away from a book?  Just some thoughts that I've had - I like to think about the "big picture" and to see this kind of thing from a sociological standpoint rather than a personal one. :)

 

Thoughts? :)

[SKL]

I'll read that linked article, but first I'll just say:  just because there are apps does not mean we use them (or over-use them).  I think each adult is capable of deciding the best way to use their technology, including when not to use it.  It's not that much different from other things - some people have addictive personalities, others don't, and each of us needs to focus on our own strengths and weaknesses.  By all means walk away if you decide it's too much for you.

 

I am tempted to go looking for an article that shows how a mom's technology made her a better mom....

 

Oh, and for me, it's much easier to look away from a screen than from a book.  Small screens bug me, always have.  They are tools, useful tools, but not something I am drawn to for fun.

[Χά�ων]

I think this thread would be more productive if the title was "Addiction to Technology and how it affects Parenting." Facebook, e-mail, forums are huge draws and time sucks that take away from jobs, family etc. 

[SKL]

Yes, I'm more likely to play on the computer to escape my job (when my kids are in school) than to escape my kids.  But I have some personal issues with focus, always have, even before I owned my first screen.

[Tohru]

I don't mind being disagreed with, did I say that? Idk, I guess the thread is coming off as mean spirited to me. My mistake for starting a topic that has no benefit really.

 

I agree with you.  I started reading this thread when it started and enjoyed the comments, but then it seems like some one got offended, then some one got accusatory and defensive...it kind of went down the hill from there so I quit reading. 

 

I was actually shocked it was still going, so I popped in to read the last page to see where it ended up. 

 

[Tohru]

I dunno..I've seen cupcake discussions get uglier than this.

 

:lol:

 

lol!  You quoted me before I could edit to fix my spelling error! :)

 

Yep, I think I've seen that one too!  Hmmm, actually, I might have started something about cupcakes awhile back that got a bit brutal... :)

[Jenny in Florida]

LOL You're so funny SU. :) I hardly remember life before my iPhone.  I talk to mine, "Take me to the nearest Trader Joe's."  "Call Mom."  "Play Jimmy Buffet."  (Ok that is embarrassing.)   Siri is so obedient.

 

We just switched the whole family to android phones (because it meant a substantial savings). So, I don't have Siri to chat up. However, I have recently discovered the joy of spoken navigation. It absolutely beats my old practice of either printing out directions and attempting to read them while driving or handing one of my kids the print-out or my phone and making him or her navigate. Having the phone talk to me is a bit irritating, but much more convenient, efficient and safe.

[SKL]

I don't know how to use the GPS function on my phone.  However, my 7yo has declared herself "E. GPS" and she will randomly call out "in 1.6 miles, you will reach your destination."  :P  Doof.

[LibraryLover]

We just switched the whole family to android phones (because it meant a substantial savings). So, I don't have Siri to chat up. However, I have recently discovered the joy of spoken navigation. It absolutely beats my old practice of either printing out directions and attempting to read them while driving or handing one of my kids the print-out or my phone and making him or her navigate. Having the phone talk to me is a bit irritating, but much more convenient, efficient and safe.

 

Yes. I am so grateful for the spoken GPS feature. I use it all the time (since I've moved).  Its hands-free, except for the quick press to get Siri.  I ask, Siri 'speaks'.  As for other apps- I've only loaded FB and Pandora on my phone*. I don't play any games.  My phone is a miraculous tool to me. I don't have fears about getting lost, by car or on foot, anymore.  A pocket GPS has been freeing, really.

 

* There are many apps on the tablet. Netflix etc

 

PS I also have GrubHub. Forgot about that.

[Caroline]

I don't have fears about getting lost, by car or on foot, anymore. A pocket GPS has been freeing!

Yes!!

[MomtoCandJ]

I use my gps a lot as well, and so does dh, we traded phones for a day so he could use the gps on my phone (iPhone 4, no Siri). We tried using GPS on his windows 8 phone but we didn't like it.

[Colleen]

Continuing down the rabbit trail…Cindy, if you've not already read it, you might appreciate Nicholas Carr's The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains.

 

 

I think there's something bigger going on in our lives with technology. 

 

Thoughts? :)

 

 

[Caroline]

I'm too rushed to look it up , but aren't there studied showing that reliance on GPS is affecting our ability to navigate and read maps ??

That wouldn't surprise me.

[LibraryLover]

I remember that Boston Globe story. I actually have cultivated a good mental 'overhead' view of my new -to-me area partly due to the GPS, which I think is related to letting go of worry about getting lost; I explore more. I find the GPS street maps very helpful.  Of course, a paper map is also great.

 

I did chuckle at the scene in The Office when Micheal drives into the pond. I hope it never comes to that for me. ;)

[Jean in Newcastle]

I remember that Boston Globe story. I actually have cultivated a good mental 'overhead' view of my new city partly due to the GPS, which I think is related to letting go of worry about getting lost; I explore more. I find the GPS street maps very helpful.  Of course, a paper map is also great.

 

I did chuckle at the scene in The Office when Micheal drives into the pond. I hope it never comes to that for me. ;)

The last time I used GPS it tried to kill me by making me drive into a canal.  I was too smart for it.  

[LibraryLover]

The last time I used GPS it tried to kill me by making me drive into a canal.  I was too smart for it.  

 

lol  You got to be smart. My phone GPS is much more reliable than my old car unit. (I wasn't good about updating!)

[Barb_]

GPS made my dad drive across a creek and into a farmer's cow pasture.  The farmer asked him if he needed help and he said, "The Lady told me there was a road somewhere." The farmer told him it happens all the time.  

[Jenny in Florida]

I still draw myself little maps. With pencil. On paper.

 

Sure, but then you have to look at them while you are driving. And if you get lost, your paper map can't re-calibrate on the fly.  I resisted using the maps feature at all, let alone with the spoken directions, but once I gave in, I admitted that it really is both easier and safer than working with a paper map.

[SKL]

LOL.  I remember the first time we tried using a GPS on a trip.  There was a cloud in the sky.  As a result, the GPS kept yelling at us to get back on the damn road.  We never went off the road.  Blah.

[MrsJewelsRae]

Yep. The whole purpose of a cell phone is the convenience. My dh might call, I may need to make a call, snap pictures of my kids, call 911 in case of emergency (my youngest has severe food allergies, I go nowhere without access to a phone). Sometimes I may even bring it to surf the web, read the news, browse Facebook, etc. I homeschool my kids, they've never been to daycare, I never even fed them a bottle, we've never taken vacations without them- I will not feel guilty for stealing a few moments while they play on their own at the park- I'm WITH them ALL the time, I spend more time with my kids than the average working mom or public schooling parent, so if a random passerby wants to judge me for being on my phone once in a while, go ahead. :)

[Jenny in Florida]

I don't drive :) As a pedestrian and public transport user, it's fine.

 

 

Ah, that would make a difference, yes. I apologize for making the assumption.

 

I have to say, though, that the last time my son and I were in NYC and taking public transportation on routes with which we were unfamiliar, it was awfully nice to be able to look up schedules while we were standing at bus stops. A lot of the signs had codes on them that, if texted to the right number, would get a reply saying exactly when the next bus was due to pass that stop. Since the weather was bad while we were there and many buses ran late or not at all for a couple of days, we very much appreciated getting easy and quick access to that kind of information. 

 

Having my phone also made it possible for us to map out new routes around town and then back to the place where we were staying if our plans for the day changed.

 

Obviously, life went on before these gadgets were available -- I used to live in NJ and commute into Manhattan every day, a feat I managed without having a computer and wi-fi in my pocket -- but I do appreciate how much easier it is for me to navigate to new places with my phone. During this season of my life, when I am often trying to be in two places at once, at least one of which is somewhere I've never been before, on-the-go access to maps and directions has been genuinely valuable to me.

[Jenny in Florida]

LOL

 

My dad bought us a GPS.  I still feel the need to look up and go over the directions before I go somewhere unfamiliar.  The whole not knowing the next step ahead of time stresses me out.  Sometimes when it says turn next turn, for some reason I get confused.  I don't know which turn it means.  I've ended up choosing the wrong turn.

 

I often get the directions on my phone before I leave the house. I then quickly scroll through the full route before I get behind the wheel so that I have a general idea of where I'm headed. I get stressed otherwise, too.

[LibraryLover]

I often get the directions on my phone before I leave the house. I then quickly scroll through the full route before I get behind the wheel so that I have a general idea of where I'm headed. I get stressed otherwise, too.

 

The phone/Rah's girlfriend GPS does reduce that stress for me. I can see the whole map/grid before setting out. I've found that very comforting.

[KungFuPanda]

I don't think GPS takes away your ability to read a map. Really, it's not THAT hard. I think having a GPS probably prevents some people from ever learning in the first place. I CAN read a map, compass, do an orienteering course, but I did find it handy when the map on my iPhone started talking to me. Still, I think it's foolish to go too far from home without a paper map. I find it a little pathetic to be completely helpless if your phone dies or a satellite is uncooperative.