Facebook, Twitter, and smartphones

Five years ago I can clearly remember having a conversation with a friend over supper where I stated I would never need a smart phone or tablet. I thought that it was ridiculous that people felt that they needed to collect their emails whilst at work. What could be that important that could not wait until they got home? As for social networks I did not have a good word to say about them, how my mind has changed in just five years.

In the few days my iPhone has not been working I have felt isolated and not in control of what is happening in my world. In the space of a few years I have been introduced to all the social network sites and Facebook I do use to keep up with my friends who live all over the world, but Twitter is the one I love. I have read that you can become addicted to things like Twitter. I don’t believe I am at that point, but I do miss it at the moment. I have enjoyed getting to know people all over the world with interactions, not having to be involved yet with the choice of chatting to many. I chat with a broad spectrum of people in all walks of live, 2 are scientists with PhD’s, another is an author, many are housewives who are feeling housebound with toddlers, it is this varity I love. I have also found it very easy to add support to many good causes that I am being made aware of on twitter.
I have also seen the downside of the likes of twitter and sad to say I do have a friend who cannot get through a meal with friends without having to answer a forever beeping phone, my friends commented that she should not have come out for lunch with us if she could not turn her phone off.  I for one love to have lunch or supper with friends and yes my phone goes off or on silent and I do not look at it till I am home.

I do now have to confess that I have slipped into the habit of picking up my e-mails at lunchtime, very few are ever important but it makes me feel I can handle anything almost immediately and I have bagged a couple of good travel deals that way. A few years ago I would not have believed I would have been doing my shopping on line on an ipad yet it saves me hours, freeing up time for things I enjoy doing such as my tennis or seeing friends. I also read a negitve comment about Mumsnet a few days ago, well I cannot see any harm in mums coming together on the internet sharing their experiences, passing advice to each other, many young mums feel very alone, often with a support network behind them so in many ways this can bridge a gap.

I know that there are people who could take this to the extreme and become reclusive feeling that they need not go out into the world, living life through the computer but surly these people had these tendencies anyway before the dawn of the smartphone and social networking. Life is all about balance; get it right and it works well. My iphone has gone to be repaired and I am taking the ipad to work, not quite so easy to shove in my jeans pocket so hurry home iphone.