I just spent a week in a beautiful part of the UK – the New Forest. This was our fourth visit to the same holiday park. We love it. It’s peaceful, idyllic, picture postcard perfect.
It’s three years since we were last in the area, however. On this particular occasion, I noticed something I had never noticed before. The only wifi available was in the main reception of the clubhouse and it was very weak. Mobile signal was virtually non existent.
Occasionally when we ventured out, we might pick up a little bit of 3G – enough to download some emails, perhaps, but otherwise we were lucky if we could send a text or receive a call. It seems like much of the New Forest is a virtual black hole.
Why did I not know this from my previous three trips there? What has happened to me during the last three years which means that I have become so reliant on my ability to remain constantly connected?
Three years ago I didn’t blog. I was on Facebook, but not Twitter or Google+ and I didn’t rely on my phone in order to check my emails. Now I have a smart phone and I use it for accessing all my social media and emails. It has become an essential part of my life – my crux.
It seems that I am reliant on my ability to stay constantly connected and take it for granted that I will always be able to do so. Having a week without this ability was…strange.
Being able to just about keep up to date with my emails was enough (you can’t go completely AWOL when you work for yourself). As for the rest, I found I didn’t mind it so much once I was resigned to the fact. Surprise, surprise, I survived!
I don’t know what I missed on my social media channels, but there is nothing I can do about that. It’s kind of refreshing in a way, like I’ve re-calibrated myself. Before we went away, I already realised that I spent too long on social media. This trip gave me a chance to reflect on that and how I will do things differently from now on. My challenge from here on is to find a new way to manage my social media, without letting it take over completely.
Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? Do you think you rely too much on your smart phone? Could you cope without it?
Image courtesy of jesadaphorn at FreeDigitalImages.net
Glad you had a lovely holiday. I try not to be constantly connected to be honest and only check in when i’m sat down feeding the baby… I’ve had major phone trouble this year (long story!) and often go out with an old iPhone that doesn’t work for anything but phone and text… i find it liberating 🙂
It’s good practice. I used to catch up when I was feeding too. It’s quite nice to have that time isn’t it?
So reliant – it’s like my arm has been cut off when there is no signal and wi-fi. Which is a bad thing, really. I think a break would do me good actually. I hope you had a lovely time in the New Forest
We had a lovely time, thanks. Apart from the weather, but that’s the chance you take when going on holiday in the uk.
I felt like that on the more remote islands in Croatia this summer. It’s funny though, since being more “unplugged” I have continued that at home. I don’t feel compelled to check my phone as often or worry about how my blog is doing or what’s happening on FB. It’s pretty nice actually 🙂
That’s what I would like to keep doing. I know what you mean, it’s nice not to have that pressure.
Yes, it really is. Giving up that control of ‘needing’ to respond right away or check emails or even post…it actually feels very freeing. 🙂