Opinion: Moderation key, even in technology

Sometimes I wonder if I control my technology or if technology now controls me.

I say this while sitting in my house with no internet. A defective router, or something, will have to wait until Monday, when I can get it fixed or replaced.

That leaves me a weekend without my “smart” TV, an incessant flow of emails and an offline computer that only works off its “desktop.”

Sure, I’ve still got a working smart phone, which for many is all they need — but not me, since I’m not into the apps that turn such devices into a mini-me.

I suppose it’s my aversion to owning an all-knowing handheld device that meets my every e-need that has placed me in this precarious position. But it also keeps me grounded to the fact that there’s a big old world out there, which you might miss if your eyes are always glued to a screen.

Those who read my newspaper are aware that my nephew, Ben McDonald, has come to work for me this summer. He’s all of 22 years old, so you’d think he could fix my internet problem, but that’s not really his thing. He’s more of an outdoorsman, driving out from Arkansas with a kayak tied to his car and enough camping supplies to get lost in the woods anytime he wants. He’s a hard worker and an independent thinker, and he might just be offline more than he’s on.

I’d venture to say that he’s mentally and emotionally better off than most of his peers because he doesn’t live his life on social media.

I read an article — sorry, I can’t remember the exact source, nor can I google it at this moment — that found that two-thirds of teenagers in one survey said they’re on social media almost all the time. That would explain why so many of today’s young people are suffering psychologically. Maybe it should be called “anti-social media” because it’s taking the place of real interactions. Virtual contact just isn’t the same.

Another problem in this high-tech age is the ease to which one can access information. The easier it is to learn something, the easier it is to forget it. We’re being dumbed down by our devices, which only increases our dependence on them.

It’s been said that necessity is the mother of invention, but in this day and age, invention is the mother of necessity. We didn’t need a cell phone when I was young (they weren’t invented yet), but now we must have them.

For me personally, the biggest upside to all this technology is my ability to stay connected to my friends and family, who are scattered from here to the other side of the world. Every week my immediate family gets together on Google Meet to talk, share, laugh and watch our favorite toddler scamper about.

It’s not as good as our annual physical get-togethers at Thanksgiving, but it helps us keep the ties that bind.

Maybe that’s the trick to staying sane in this new world of hyper-technology — picking and choosing what works for you. Like most things habit-forming, moderation is the key. I don’t know about you, but I find that turning off my devices from time to time is healthy — even when a bad router, or whatever, forces me to.

Tom McDonald is editor of the New Mexico Community News Exchange. Contact him at:

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