Eye to Wonder

Yesterday I wrote about some of the things I dislike about technology (particularly phones), and I can definitely be skeptical about technology. However, there are a lot of tech uses that make my life better. Going with the 5 Things theme for NaBloPoMo, I thought I’d list 5 apps/technologies that make my life better. 1. Podcasts. I LOVE listening to podcasts. They make doing chores, exercising, and other mundane tasks much better. Some favorites are: The Girls Next Door, Best Laid Plans, Pantsuit Politics, Ezra Klein, Minimal-ish, and the Lazy Genius podcast. 2. My kindle. I know this is a controversial pick because many book lovers prefer physical books, but I use my kindle constantly and prefer it to physical books. I definitely read more since buying it. I love that I can download books from the library using Libby, and can read long books without feeling like they take up too much space when I’m traveling or out and about. 3. Blogs! I love seeing glimpses into other people’s ...

I recently read Daria’s post on 5 Things That Help My Mental Health and particularly resonated with what she wrote about laying off her phone and how she hates it and also loves aspects of it.I know that this is a common feeling and it’s something I think about a lot. In the past, I have found myself drawn to different tech solutions to this problem like the Brick that blocks apps or the Light phone which doesn’t have access to an internet browser and instead only has basic apps like podcasts, music, a camera, and maps. In the end though, there are things that are convenient about having an iPhone, and it seems silly to buy a new phone or thing when mine still works. The thing I dislike about my phone is that it’s easy during a tough parenting moment or when I feel bored to pick up the phone and skim the NYT webpage, a blog, or substack. None of these things are bad on their own, but I don’t like that I’m pulling myself away from my own life and my kids. It definitely doesn’t make a...