{Reality Check}

I tend to prefer reading women's magazines in hard copy rather than online (it seems some sites are so heavily populated with graphics and headlines that I want to avoid sending myself into a visual tailspin) but I recently viewed glamour.com and came across an interesting tag line that read: "Could you go a week without your phone or the internet and feel happy?"

Is this your reaction to a loss in "connection"?

According to a survey (Glamour, please) "more than half of respondents said they felt upset when they were denied access to the Internet; and, 40 percent said they felt lonely." Source.  Now, I can understand that if I were to go without using my phone for a few days, I might feel a bit weird...but would I go as far as to compare being sans phone to "quitting smoking or drinking" or "having my hand chopped off?" I don't think so. Let's get a grip.

It may be time for a time-out...

Ladies (and gents), I really hope we have more going on in our lives that we don't feel lonely without the internet or phone. I get it, we live in a society driven by the notion that we are available 24/7 thanks to advancements in technology. (Even I have been recently craving an iPad.) I've said it to my boss many times before and I'll say it again: Put the blackberry (or insert your phone here) down! Life will go on whether you answer that email now or in the morning, whether you update your Facebook pictures tonight or in a week, whether you keep up with your Twitter account or whether you answer every comment on your blog page or not.

There aren't words.

A year ago, I realized the ridiculous amount of time I spent on my Facebook account so I deactivated it. For 3 months. It was positively delightful and I read several books, spent more time outdoors and didn't miss it for a second (pinky swear). I learned, during that time, how much I had relied on Facebook for remembering birthdays, upcoming events & being updated on people's lives. It helped me to remember that just because technology is convenient, it doesn't suffice for verbally wishing someone a happy birthday or meeting a friend over coffee vs. an online chat.

Remember to make time to go outside & play!

Yes, it is awesome to have an instant connection with others right at your fingertips...but it does not make us happy. It makes us available, but it should not make us dependent.

So my answer to you, Glamour, is yes...

I can go for a week (or more!) without my phone or internet and still be completely happy. (In fact, I will be doing that this weekend while away in the mountains.) And I sincerely hope all of you readers can too.

Images via Google