Getting away from technology?

I worked at a camp where cell phones didn't always work. There was only one carrier, and you had to be standing in the right spot. Granted, it was before smart phones, but texting was becoming popular. But the camp had a no phone/no headphones policy, so that everyone had to interact. If you wanted to listen to music, great, but everyone got to listen to it, and everyone had to agree on it.

With campers, it usually wasn't too big of a deal. There were a few that grumbled about it. But the camp counselors. They went through detox. It would take them about a week to adjust to not having instant contact with their friends. Some of them hid from many problems in their lives by drowning it out with headphones. Some of them shut the world out, until they were told to unplug. For some of them, the whole summer was therapy and learning how to interact with people in a healthy manner.

There was time throughout the week for all the staff to check emails, but the schedule was usually busy enough you only had 15 minutes. And it was dial-up, so surfing the web was pretty pointless.

I can't imagine it now, with smartphones and kids with phones at younger and younger ages.

Everytime I see this thread, this song goes through my head. If you haven't seen the movie it won't make sense though! lol.

Yep. That's what technology will turn you into. Lol

You may be sadly disappointed to find out when your kids are grown that they have no interest in staying "down on the farm" or even participating in your business. Children grow up, they develop their own likes and dislikes, they seek their own path and that may not include what you want for them. Some children may not want to "raise a family".

While we may want certain things for our children, in reality, be prepared for them to go their own way.

That said, I love skype and internet, smart phones and facebook..I see lots of pics of my grandchildren, talk to my children frequently and stay involved in their lives. I have children from one coast to the other and we stay in touch through technology. and also..I can find cheap flights if needed for them to visit or me to visit. Something that used to be impossible without the advent of technology.

I work in high tech. I use it as a tool and still buy old fashioned hard backed books. I also game at times, or buy all my Christmas presents without leaving the house. I can work from home if I want.

I don't feel "tied" in a bad way to technology. It serves it's purpose and when I am done with it, I turn it off.

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Be yourself - no one can tell you that you're doing it wrong!

You are right. They do develop their own likes and dislikes. But I can tell you that a child raised with true parental care and nurturing who recieves more focus time with mom and dad than a TV, tend to walk after the example set by their parents . My kids are 15, 12 and 10. And they love the farm and love our lifestyle. Their friends who have opposite parents think we are the coolest mom and dad and wish they lived like us. Some youth today are wiseing up. Even face book has seen a decline in people ages 15 to 25. Your children walk after the example you set. And years ago it was always assumed the child would take over the family business. But we stopped teaching family values and family honor, loyalty and tradition. So kids say forget that, in going to be me and do what I want. It's all about me me me. Thankfully that's not the case with us. I tell my kids they are free to do whatever they want in life. If they want to go to college and work in the city so be it. Just do the best at whatever you do. But they so far are choosing to learn and love our lifestyle. So we will see what the future holds.

It's no secret that I hate facebook and feel it has contributed greatly to the demise of many things (including marriages). I don't begrudge people who choose to use it but I don't and don't let my kids either. I'm not militant about a ton of things but their online presence is something I monitor like a hawk. And I agree that many people's family values have gone by the wayside which is sad.

It sounds like you're doing a great job with your kids..don't be surprised if they do eventually leave the farm..but I have a feeling that like the needle of a compass pointing North..they will find their way back.

Back in the day, we had like 5 channels that would come in on our black and white TV but not everynight, you had to getup to change the channel. Its true we had a few favorite shows but we did not miss playing outside to catch our show.

Its all too disposable now, everything is too easy, and unappreciated.

Its great that with the web we can access literally anything you can think of. But the last generation has grown up with a smart phone in their hands and are nearly useless without it. Very few young people can fix, build, or repair anything at all, its a "buy a new one mentality".

Not everyone could fix things before either. They took it to get it fixed. The difference is it is often now cheaper to get a new one than to get the old one fixed.

I know that with the internet I can now find the info and parts to fix things that I used to have to get fixed. It has made a huge difference in my life. It is the whole premise of HT as well.

I seen a Pizza Commercial the other day, family was going off grid. They go off Grind then decide they want this Pizza. The Father says we are going back on Grid made me think of this thread.

big rockpile

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If I need a Shelter
If I need a Friend
I go to the Rock!

And yet, I watched 2 girls with an iPhone figure out how to change a tire on the weekend.

We've done similar many times. If we need a wiring diagram or some other specific detail, it's in hand in a matter of minutes.

I love new technology. But I have so many user ID's and passwords that I had to make a list to put on my desktop just to remember them all.......

geo

Yup, I was doing the brakes on my truck and sent my brother a picture of what I was doing and a question and he sent back the answer right away. Very handy!

Facebook has allowed me to keep in touch with many people I would have lost touch with otherwise and I enjoy a great long distance relationship with today. It also allowed me to get back in touch with some from a long time ago, even a couple of people that I went to junior school with. It allows me to keep up to date with family and friends spread out over the country.

Technology has been a definite net benefit to my life. The convenience is undeniable.

[QUOTE=2dogs-mom;7341281]I totally agree. We spend a week at the same cabin each year (no modern conveniences) and it's no accident the kids look forward to it each year. They each invite friends and the rule is no phones. It takes about a day for the buddies to adjust - lol.

We do spend most nights here at home with the TV off playing games or reading, the nights we are home. I'd love to get rid of the internet completely but I work from home plus with the kids in school we absolutely need it. We do have cable TV but just get the basic 4-5 local channels as rabbit ears didn't seem to work in our new location.

I was wondering why someone would be on an internet forum and say she doesn't want the internet....made me chuckle......No offense 2dogs-mom

Oh, none taken. This is really the only place I spend my time online, beside work. I like it here but I wouldn't die without any of you. I'd be perfectly happy with going to the library off and on to use the internet, but not having it at the house would be fine with me.

Hope that makes sense..

Have a computer with internet, trac phone for occasional road trips (no cell service here) and the homestead. We live our vacation, so no need for entertainments. Just lovin' life providing for family and neighbors. Use internet to learn more of how to provide it ourselves. It's wonderful having children who don't know they are missing "what the world has to offer". We are not impressed. They love the outdoors and each other, and when asked by family what they want for birthday gifts, they don't know what to answer. They have all they need and are satisfied. Books are the most they can think of.

Nope, I'd never get rid of technology. When we moved here in 1999, we lived with the bare essentials. But technology is what keeps us living this way and we have made much progress. From our alternative energy system, to our computers and my Kindle, it all blends together with the non-technology items we also depend on. Pumping water, a sawdust toilet, a wheel hoe cultivator in our garden, and cooking and heating with wood stoves. Can we live without it? Yes, we have. But neither one of us wants to. Besides, I make money on the computer and what would I do without that? We don't have the normal high tech home, just a few kitchen items, that I use rarely. Since our system is very small, we basically go to bed when it gets dark. So I would just die without my Kindle Fire, since I can read in the dark with it. We both have TracFones and buy cards about every three months, so if I didn't have one it wouldn't bother me too much. That is as long as I have internet, so I can keep in daily touch with my disabled grown son and other family members.

Actually, I can't see why anyone would want to go without technology if they can have it. The internet is my socialization time! No televisions or stereos here, I admit I love talking to my family and friends on FaceBook and would really miss them. Especially my friends from here (HT), that I have gotten to really know better on FB. I'd miss them.

I think we will be adding more high tech items, such as an electric car and other items, but that doesn't mean we won't keep using some of the old fashion technology we like. After all, those items were once though of as high tech too.

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Homesteading On The Internet
Solar Baby
Reflections of katlupe

I think that the current tech toys are just that and won't be needed in the future. There's already a different world percolating out there for those who are watching. I'm not entirely certain I'll still be here to see it fully materialize, but I'm hoping I will be able to see at least the beginnings of the new era of physics and technology.

I use tech that supports me. No more and no less. To me it's just an aggravating nuisance that's required for participation. I have tech but it's all old and outdated - laptop was built in 2007, microwave was built in 1978, both tv sets along with most of the home appliances are 2009, DH's tracfone is 2004, car is 2011 or 12, my car is 1997, other truck is 1989, me and DH arrived in 1950, and if I've left anything out then we don't use it enough to recall.

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There are endless combinations of truth.

Technology is definitely a double edged sword. I have a flip phone, at least 7 years old that I carry for emergencies. I use it maybe 3 times a year. I think everyone can decide for themselves how much technology to use. Unfortunately this decision is taken out of the hands of parents as schools today are going too far, in my opinion, towards technology. It can be a great learning tool but it is also making the schools decide not to teach some very important skills. For example, kids in our school no longer have spelling tests because they all can use spell check. Ditto no continued practice for cursive handwriting because the kids all type their homework. Teachers today will not accept handwritten homework. Because the kids type in block letters, they will soon not be able to read cursive at all. The Declaration of Independence was written in cursive!

As parents we are no longer sent written copies of report cards. We are forced to go online to check our kids grades. I limit the time I spend on the computer, but they are forcing me to use it more than I want, or to remain uninformed about my children's grades. Out teachers prefer e-mail communication and tell us they never check their messages on the school phone system!

My children have their text books online. My kids prefer an actual book. It is easier to stick a paper in a page to come back to it often for reference. Our schools no longer have actual textbooks. I know this is supposed to save money, but not all children learn the best with an electronic screen.

Sorry for the rant. I don't like to be forced to do something new when the old ways were working just fine. I think technology should be an addition, not a substitution.

I suppose it's all perspective. Maybe in the future they will have hologram readers that project the book right in front of you and people will be saying "I remember when I used to use my Kindle for reading, it was good enough, why am I forced to use this new technology?

The big test is if there is ever a SHTF situation that crashes us back to horse and buggy and no electricity. The further we get from the basics, the harder the fall back to the ground, kind of like climbing a mountain, the higher you get, the harder the fall. It's good to use as much technology as needed as long as we keep our feet planted firmly on the ground.

That is kind of the point. You should endeavor to teach and learn and understand the basics because those are the building blocks. However there is nothing wrong with using technology to ease and facilitate your everyday task in your home or business life.

Technology is a wonderful boon to our lives. It enables us to be part of a huge world economy, it is used by our youth to fight bigotry corrupt governments and other ills in this world. It allows us instant access to knowledge we had to fight to find just 20 years ago. It offers up choices we could only imagine when some of us who are older thought that only the Jetsons would ever have.

You have a choice to shun it. The rest of us are going to use it as the tool it is to better ourselves.