The Connected Age

Like many people of my generation, I find great amusement at the almost obsessive attachment many young people have to their phones and other devices. I love all the memes and videos of those who either totally miss everything that is happening around them, or hilariously crash into the real world while staring at their screens and stumbling through life blindly. Last night, I got a wake-up call that even I am not totally free from this affliction.

The wife and I were planning to fire up Hulu and watch an episode of one of the new shows we missed earlier this week. First, I had to finish the YouTube video I had found to help me get past the latest Boss battle in the game I am currently playing (Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, for the curious ones). Two minutes later, I’m cursing at my TV because my FireStick says I have no internet connection. While Patti patiently attended to the cats, I plugged and unplugged the WiFi extender, the router, and then, the computer, only to discover that we had no internet anywhere in the house.

So, no way to watch the program we had missed. On to Plan B. Couldn’t check my email, so I thought I’d just use my cellular data and check Twitter and Facebook. I was surprised to see that my phone was showing only one bar and then the dreaded No Service message. No internet and now, no phone service? OMG! I was cut off from the entire world! What could I do?

My game apparently needed to update from Steam and so I couldn’t play that. About half the games on my phone require an internet connection, so that ruled them out. No Netflix. No Amazon Prime Video. No Vudu. Couldn’t listen to music because IHeart Radio, Pandora, or Spotify would all fail to connect. I was beginning to panic. I honestly had no idea just how connected I had become myself.

So, I fell back on my training as a grown-up and I coped. Since I’m surrounded by piles of books I am still meaning to read, I survived. (Even though the book, I am trying to finish at the moment is on my IPad. I know, more technology!) I spent some time reading, then I actually went to bed at a decent hour and got a good night’s sleep. By the next morning, my internet and phone were back to normal, and I was once again connected to the world.

Now for the reality check. You really can survive without the internet. And your phone. At least for a few hours anyway. So, here’s a bit of free advice – sometimes it’s okay to unplug (even on your own), despite the steady pull of this connected age. I might even try it myself every now and then.