The holiday season is upon us, electronic and technology gifts abound. Even if you have an idea of what you want to buy, the number of choices can be overwhelming. I thought it would be simple to find quality speakers to listen to the music on my iPhone, yet it has become a project for me. (Yes the CD collection is now starting to gather dust like the LP collection.)
Feeling sentimental about my lonely CD collection, I realized how many of my daily habits have changed in the past few years due to new technology and gadgetry. The end of the year is always a time of reflection, and since habits are hard to change, I thought it was worth documenting. Here is my list – so far.
1. My watch has become an ornament, a piece of jewelry that I wear on my wrist. I use it quite infrequently to tell time. Instead I find myself relying on my cell phone, PC, cable box, and microwave. My 26-year-old daughter would never let me buy her a watch – she told me she would never use it. I now agree with her on this one!
2. I no longer use my clock radio to awaken me. I use the alarm on my phone to wake me up. I picked up this habit on vacation and it has stuck with me. I will never oversleep due to a power outage as long as my phone is charged.
3. I keep an online calendar. It is very handy, especially since I can view it on my smart phone, and set alerts to remind me of appointments. However I still keep a desk and a wall calendar! So now I update my desk calendar, wall calendar and online calendar for my appointments. Yes this is redundant and neurotic (am I the only one who does this?). Yes, I could print out the online calendar and save myself some trouble, but I like keeping the written calendars. Perhaps this will go the way of my watch in a few years.
4. I rarely watch live TV to view my favorite shows, they are always recorded. This way I don’t miss any shows, I can view them at any time, and bypass commercials. I may record shows I watch live as it is helpful should I fall asleep, I can replay the parts I’ve missed.
5. There is no newspaper in my house – I rely on online sites. This also cuts down on the amount of paper I need to recycle.
6. Going out to the movies always starts online with moviephone.com or fandango.com to find a movie, read reviews, and find theaters and times. While I am there I order the movie tickets online if I think the show might sellout.
7. I’ve been an online shopper for years now, and find I am going online to research prices, even for store purchases. Often the online prices are better especially when there is free shipping. I may go to a store to touch and feel an item, then go home and order it online if it is cheaper and I don’t mind waiting for it.
8. At the risk of sounding nerdy (not that there is anything wrong with that) I will admit I keep spreadsheets for my grocery list and vacation packing, rather than constantly making new lists. I have been doing this for years now, and I rarely miss or forget items, as my lists have been revised and improved upon over time.
9. I rely on my car’s navigation system when traveling, rather than printing maps and directions. I did print directions as a backup in the past, but I don’t bother anymore. I do still check directions online first if I have the time. I also use tripadvisor.com to do all my travel research, rather than read travel guide books.
10. This last one is not a habit of mine, but I do know more than one person who takes their iPad on bathroom visits rather than a magazine, book, or newspaper. I will admit I am guilty of keeping my iPhone with me at all times.
I am sure this list will continue to grow. I can’t add listening to my iTunes library as replacing my CDs yet. Perhaps once I decide on speakers for my iPhone that may change.
How has technology and gadgetry changed your habits? What can you add to this list?
Jeri Usbay 