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The other day while driving to our South Burlington store I heard a news story about how technology affects us today, both positively and negatively. One of the topics, in particular, being discussed was the question of how technology can affect our focus and become an addiction. One side of the table felt very strongly that technology negatively affects us, while the other half felt technology was an asset. For me, technology is about balance and it is an incredibly powerful tool.

In my work life, having information and communication literally at my fingertips is invaluable. I am a huge fan of the iCloud drive and the utilization of iCloud keychain storage, These two features of the cloud I use literally every day and cannot envision at this point not utilizing these. Just the other day I was away from my computer and thanks to my access to our Apple service manual in my iCloud, I was able to quickly find the folder from my iPhone and pull up the answer to a question for our service department. I can be using my iPad at home and have access to just about everything I need as though I was at my computer in the office. I have used the collaboration feature within Pages to work on documents I needed assistance with from other co-workers. Even when I am away from my computer and phone, co-workers can quickly reach me via text or a call because of my Apple Watch. These are just a handful of features I use daily to be more efficient at my job no matter where I am. Because I am a busy mom and have a full work schedule, this kind of constant connectivity is essential in my getting through my day. Would I be this connected if I wasn’t in the line of work I am? Probably not. But can I disconnect when I’m not in the office? I can. I love reading and the iBooks app makes it convenient to read a book whether I’m on a lunch break or waiting in the doctor’s office. But nothing beats holding a book in my hand and a stroll through my favorite local bookstore to pick out my next book I can’t put down. I can go hours on the weekends without looking at my phone or checking the latest social media feeds. But without my phone and calendar reminders, I will be that mom who forgot one of my kids changed after school plans or miss a meeting at the office. I’ve tried to keep one of those pocket calendars, but those boxes are really tiny to write in! I could never keep all my appointments and schedule changes on one of those.

Smart Home technology is everywhere in my house. We have an Amazon Echo in our living room that controls the lamps in the room; we have the Eve product line from Elgato which measures inside and outside air temperatures and air quality, smart bulb adapters from Incipio and as soon as I have some downtime, I have some Lutron switches to install. My kids think it’s pretty awesome they can just say a command and lights turn on and off in our house. I’m also happy I can see from my iPhone or iPad if any unnecessary lights have been left on despite the kids saying they turned the lights off.

I have two kids, 11 and 6. My oldest, Anna, has a take it or leave it feeling when it comes to technology. Her school issues Chromebooks; she is very good about following the rules laid out by the school and she only uses it for her homework assignments, the same goes for our home computer. She will sometimes sit on the couch at night and play a game or two on her iPod Touch. Your more likely to find Anna up early in the morning secretly reading a book than grabbing for a device, and her new hobby at night is making bracelets. My youngest, Olivia, is a different story. If given the opportunity she will binge watch Youtube for Kids for hours and become hyperfocused on the device. She has been that kid who turns into a ball of tears when told she can not play a game on an iPad. Because of this, her iPad usage is closely monitored and it’s a special circumstance that allows her the privilege to use an iPad. Now when we come home instead of her telling us a story about some video she saw she comes to us with notebooks filled with her practicing her numbers, letters, and words. I have also set up parental controls on the kids iPads and the family Mac Mini because, well, kids are kids after all. Be it keeping them safe from the dangers of the internet, limiting their access, or just ensuring they don’t run wild in the App store, it’s a great safety net.

So is technology addictive? I’ve already sold myself and family out in this article for being deeply rooted in technology and openly admitted I clearly have a child who could easily be addicted to technology. But are we as a family addicted to technology? I guess my answer to this question is the jury is still out. We aren’t perfect. There will be days I’ll have to take away a device from one or both of my children, or have to deny a request for a computer game. But there will also be plenty of days we will all put down our devices, head outside or pick up a good book on a Sunday afternoon. I can’t say I’ll reduce my technology use at work; after all, this is my job. Perhaps I have a slightly askew perspective on technology and I will admit that. I’ll continue to be the person who jumps at the chance to test out a new Smart Home device or show another parent the peace of mind parental controls can provide. But, for me, as long as you can find the balance I feel technology is a means of making our everyday lives a little bit easier.