Good morning!

This week has flown by!  It’s been nice though because I’ll be heading to Starkville right after work and I’m excited to spend some quality time with Nick!  We haven’t done that since July 4th weekend because we’ve both been out of town the past couple of weekends.  It’s tax free weekend in Mississippi, so I know we’ll do a little shopping.  It’s time to get some new workout clothes because I’ve been working out a lot and washing my clothes is becoming quite the chore.  Also, I basically have a few pairs of running shorts to workout in and I need some more flexible items.  I’m also getting to the point where I’m wanting to look cuter at the gym.  Is that lame?  I want the adorable tank tops and sports bras, I want the cute little sayings and bows.  Well, we’ll see what I end up with over the weekend!

I really like these tops from livfit!  Except, not in yellow because that would wash me out.  Really cute look though.

(source)

Last night, I was in for a rude awakening when I arrived to the gym.  I thought I was running late for ab class & cardio blast.  I got there and was a tad confused because it did not look like people were getting ready for ab class and it did not look like the class was starting at 5:30.  I quickly realized I was in some other class, but heck, I was already there and I needed a workout for the day, so I stuck around.  True story: If I had known what I just signed up for, I would have left.  This was the hardest, sweatiest, most exhausting class of my life!  We did a hundred jumping jacks, probably thousands of burpees and squats, I learned that what I’ve known my entire life as a burpee is truly a half-burpee (WHAT?!) and there’s a such thing as a full burpee… that, believe it or not, sucks even more than a half-burpee.

There was a girl in there who was super encouraging and would come talk to me during “mini-breaks” to pump me back up because I’m pretty sure I had the look of death on my face.  Every time I talked, I just shook my head and glared.  Yeah, I’m super expressive.  Not very good at hiding my feelings from my face.  Before I left, she said, “Promise me, you’ll come back!” and I actually laughed in her face… but begrudgingly promised her that I’d be back next week.  What was I thinking?! – I guess I thought that I actually got a decent workout from it and it’d be good for my behind to be back there next Thursday at 5:45.

DIGITAL DEMENTIA

I recently learned this term, but it’s not a new idea to me.  I was reading a magazine that is published through my company.  It was talking about technology and the effect it has on children.  It was eye-opening!   I don’t have kids, but I’ve always been against the amount of technology that surrounds our society today.  Yes, I use technology myself [heck, I’m a blogger!] but I don’t believe 2 year olds need to be exposed to technology day in and day out!  I have been around kids that can’t have a proper conversation with you because they’re glued to an ipad.  Well, sure enough, it’s not just building a habit of being rude – it’s affecting what we most appreciate in kids – IMAGINATION.  Because of the significant use in technology, our right brain hemisphere is failing us.  The right hemisphere is responsible for imagination and rhythm. 

It was sad to read, honestly.  Children are rude, unresponsive, and unimaginative.  I realize I have no children, so I don’t know what it’s like to keep them entertained, but I do know that we have previously lived in a society where it was possible to entertain without technology from all around us.  I personally hate having lunch with people who are glued to their phones the whole time.  One time, I was sitting at a restaurant where I saw a couple not engaging in conversation, but looking through their iphone – for more than a few minutes.  To me, that’s not a satisfying relationship.  Nick and I make it a point to not look at our phones during dinner together unless we come up on a subject that we want to research more (or if I need a blog pic haha).  We’re not mindlessly scrolling through instagram or facebook.  We’re not responding to other people’s texts and phone calls.  We’re engaging in conversation with each other.

I don’t plan on buying my child an ipad or iphone at an early age.  That topic will not even be up for discussion in my house.  I want my children to grow up respecting others, learning how to have adult conversations, living an active & healthy lifestyle.  They will be able to use technology, but their use will be restricted and monitored.  More than anything, I feel sad for the children who are “priveledged” to have an ipad before they can talk.  I don’t consider it to be a blessing, I consider it be a curse.  It’s unnecesary and it’s feeding into this “Digital Dementia”. 

This has apparently been a big study in South Korea and they’ve even established “Internet Addiction Camps!”  Crazy!

I’m no expert or researcher, but I encourage parents to limit their children’s technology use.  I encourage non-parents to have a plan before you have kids on how to monitor the use of technology.  Turn the tv off during dinner.  Encourage conversation between your family.  The results will be positive – better sleep, better focus in school, a lower risk in obesity – there is no reason to allow your child endless hours of technology.  You don’t need technology to teach either.  I knew how to read & do math way before I started kindergarten.  I read books, my dad wrote out easy math problems for me to work – this was my entertainment.

Am I thankful for technology?  Yes.  Do I use it everyday?  Yes.  But I appreciate that I didn’t “grow-up” on technology.  I hope to instill that same developement in my children one day.

• What are your thoughts on technology & children?  I’d love to hear from parents & non-parents!
• Do you appreciate growing up without technology 24/7 or do you feel that you missed out?
• Do you believe in the negative affects that technology is having on our society today?