I will admit to being addicted to my devices! It's how I get my news, entertainment and social media. I have news sources sending me daily updates. I visit all of my social sites via my phone, connect with my various writing groups on Discord via my phone, blog daily on Actifit via my phone, etc.

Funny, maybe it's because I'm a little older and grew up without these devices, but I feel like I have to remind myself to take a break from gardening and other things I'm doing to get on my phone and keep up with everything going on a few times a day!

I think it's possible to use our devices in a sensible way, and use them to help find balance or do certain things more efficiently.

For example, one of my favorite things is Actifit. My Fitbit (or phone for some people) tracks my steps. I take daily walks, hikes or bike rides and capture pictures of meadows, parks, sunsets, flowers and my dog romping along on trails! And then every night I log into the app on my phone and write a short post about how I got my steps and add some pictures from the day, which enables me to post daily - no matter how busy I am. Also, I listen to books on Audible while I'm walking or hiking. So I feel like my phone lets me optimize my time.

I really like your point that if it takes us away from the real world and the great things happening all around us, it's not good! But if we can integrate our devices into our real-world lives, we can make them work for us instead of just being victimized by their allure. 😍