Mar 5, 2013

Thoughts On Being "Too" Connected


Last night after a long day of working and dealing with a lot of different things, I came home and all I wanted to do was relax. I tried to update my phone, and to my surprise it decided not to work, and freeze. Now to most people, this would probably be annoying, and frustrating, and to me it was that, and a little more. I was planning on writing this post today anyway, but after last night I feel like it was meant to be. I try to think of myself as being "semi-connected", someone who knows what's going down on the interwebs, but someone who isn't completely putting their whole lives out there. Some of you may disagree with this because I do have a blog, and I am pretty open about my personal life. 

Anyway, the fact of the matter is that I have been feeling like sometimes our generation is a little bit "too connected" with social media. It seems that no one can eat a sandwich, or have a coffee date without making sure they post it on Instragram...it also seems like Facebook has become a venting space for relationships and life. Social media has a huge impact on our lives, but is it becoming too much? 

After my mini freak out moment last night I started to think about what I would do without my phone. The more I thought about it, the more upset I got, and this bothered me. You all don't need to know what I had for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If I miss a day of blogging, not all is lost. Not everyone needs to know if I am having a bad day, and frankly, without my phone glued to me 24 hours a day, I would be completely fine. It might actually give me a chance to have less stress in my life.


This isn't a bash on social media, or me calling out other people for the choices that they make, because we all decide what we want to share, and how we want to share it. Social media has become a part of our lives and also allows us to connect with each other on a level that wasn't available before. Without these types of connections, my blog wouldn't be where it is, and that is one of the reasons I am such a huge supporter of it. I think my phone breaking for a few hours last night was a good wake up call for me to just relax a little, and realize that I don't need to stay connected 24-7. It's important to stay involved and post, and tweet, or chat, but it's not all life is about. 

Sometimes it's nice to take a step back and realize that there are so many other little things in life that we miss by just constantly being glued to our phones or computers. Limiting connectivity may not be so bad after all, and may actually bring more inspiration than you thought.

Details: Vest & Booties // Courtesy of Lulu's , Pants // LOFT , Necklace // Courtesy of Duece Fashion Glasses & Tee // Urban Outfitters

21 comments:

  1. This is a great post. I really enjoy time away from social media. Another thing I enjoy is time away from the concept of time. I love not having to panic and check the clock to know what time it is; sometimes it really doesn't matter.

    <3 Melissa
    wildflwrchild.blogspot.com

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  2. Time away from social media can be very liberating.

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  3. Very well said, Maria :)
    And gorgeous, as always!
    xx
    -Carley
    littlebirdlee.blogspot.ca

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  4. Love those boots! The whole outfit is awesome. I agree with the social media thoughts, it's good in moderation like everything else. Funny thing, a couple of weeks ago at school there was a pretty big alligator sunning himself by our lake maybe 20 feet away. No one noticed it as they were too wrapped up in their phones. When I finally stopped to take pictures, then others did too. It's funny what we miss in the real world when we walk around in the virtual one.

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  5. Disconnecting is important for connecting. At dinner, the hubs and I stuff away our cell phones and laptops and just have dinner together. It makes me sad that when we go out to dinner, often times couples with sit across from each other and check their facebooks and texts. We need to talk to each other. I watched this documentary on Netflix called "Happy" and it found that those communities with little technology and close-knit living spaces are the most happy :)

    The Nautical Owl

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  6. I agree with you all the way. I am so wrapped up in my iPhone, always making me connected to the world. I post about what I eat, who I am with, what I'm doing + I blog about my personal life all the time. I kind of get scared sometimes of putting too much out there.

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  7. well said...

    http://lovelybusybee.blogspot.com/

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  8. It's crazy how much we as a society have adapted to technology and the growth of social media. It'd be kind of nice to take a step back and disconnect from the media world for a day/week/month to remember how things used to be. They all survived...

    Interesting post. :)

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  9. In the past families stayed living close together but now everyone is so spread out. With everyone owning their own car and more couples families with two working parents social media is just the new normal. I try to think of that every time I'm angry at myself for checking out family photos on Facebook or tweeting about a cool new restaurant. We, as a generation, are more open than previous generations. The important thing is to be in the world, but not of the world.

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  10. Amen. I have had to 'learn' this lesson quite a few times 1) as a mom and 2) simply for my sanity. It is wonderful to be able to connect with so many people on such a personal level, but it shouldn't take over my life or my family's life. There are days where I don't even answer text messages until I know I'm at a place where I can honestly give my phone 5 minutes of face time.

    just love // kelly

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  11. I've noticed that the days I spend away from the computer and my phone are really the best. I'm not constantly thinking about everyone else's problems (or successes), and I have time to enjoy things I normally "don't have time" for, like family and crafts and such. Being a graphic designer (and blogger), it's hard to get away. I'd love to just spend one day every week with no computer or phone...it's nice.

    2ndhand Knowledge: A Style Blog

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  12. I'm no longer a twenty-something, or even an early-thirty-something, which means I remember a time (several years actually) of my adult life when I didn't have a phone, or Facebook, or Twitter. Or even a computer. Seriously. And I can honestly say that I remember those days as being infinitely less stressful. I got out more. I could sit through a movie without having to Google an actress or some other random fact every ten minutes. I wasn't constantly concerned about what everyone else was up to. I didn't feel the need to post pictures of whatever I was eating or drinking or what I'd bought that day. I just lived. Maybe we should talk about creating a "disconnect" challenge... Email me. :)

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  13. I recently moved countries and as a result I was phone-free for a bit over a month, while waiting for a new number. It did bother me, but not as much as I thought. What I actually missed was the security in knowing that if I'm out around the city and something happens, I can call someone. That, and Google Maps with GPS. You don't really think about that until you're put in a completely new place. I gained a lot of mileage thanks to being map-less. :p

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  14. I think it is important these days to take a step back and consider how we use our tech. Thoughtful post.

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  15. Great outlook, great post, and definitely agree one hundred percent. Sometimes too much, is just frankly too much. Ever so often do we need to step back from the social networking and focus on more important tasks at hand.

    The Introverted Brunette

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  16. Hey hun, Love your blog! I COMPLETELY agree with you! haha you're comment about "not everyone needs to see a picture of what sandwich I had for lunch" cracked me up...When you put it that way, some of it really is so superficial when its done to such an extent!
    xoxo Amie @ Spoonful of Vintage

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  17. Sometimes it's nice to just enjoy something and not worry about taking photos to share it. I would hate losing my phone, but it's more a practical and safety issue than about social media. It's fine if I don't take a photo of my lunch, but I'd hate to have my car break down or something and not be able to phone for help.

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  18. Lovely... I feel that we're "too connected" too.

    Valentina
    Valentina Duracinsky

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  19. it is totally truth! very good reflexion.
    In France this problem comes to be more important!
    Kiss
    aurélie
    www.lespetitesbullesdemavie.blogspot.com

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  20. Love your vest :) I want it! You're always so cute

    xo Ashley
    thetiniestfirecracker.com

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