From Blackberry to “Crackberry” and Beyond

If you were born in the 1980s or earlier, I want you to think back with me for a second. And even if you weren’t, this is one of the ways of how we got to where we are.

Do you remember the Blackberry? It was a cell phone created in 1999, but their most prominent being the 2002 version, where the ability to check email, browse, and have voice calls, were all on one device. Imagine this, you could CHECK YOUR EMAIL at home on YOUR PHONE. Not just a desktop or laptop. The Blackberry was actually nicknamed the “Crackberry” because it was highly addictive. This invention was a novel idea and yet the Blackberry actually died off and was discontinued in 2020. Why? Because the iPhone hit the market in 2007 with more options and more innovative ideas, such as APPS. Communication, shopping, gaming, portals, and more, are right at our fingertips.

Do you remember a world without these conveniences?

Remember COVID? How we could forget…

I can think of very few people who worked from home before COVID. But now? It is a welcomed way of business and a great way to multitask for many! There is nothing wrong with working from home! Don’t get me wrong. BUT, with this option too, just like having our email and messaging at our fingertips, we are now “on call” anytime, anyway. Including Sundays.

Think about bedtime. Do you sleep with your phone on the nightstand? If so, how much time is spent “checking” messages, social media, etc., before you close your eyes? You see your phone light up, does your brain right away think “I should check it?”

Do you see how our world has shifted? I know you’re probably thinking, “HOW IN THE WORLD DID WE GET TO THIS POINT?” I remember eating dinner as a kid and the biggest distraction was the dial phone ringing. Or having to talk to someone with the whole family sitting around because it was tied to a cord. And there was no voicemail.

Remember that life?

We now live in a world where we are taught to NOT unplug. Unplugging is now something we strive for, instead of something that just was. We never had to even THINK about “unplugging”, unless it was the TV – but that’s only if a bad storm was coming. We have been trained to stay “plugged” in” and if we don’t, we might miss something. And that feeling, well, has created an addiction called “fear of missing out.” I more like to think of it as a “fear of disappointing.”

We are taught that we can be in more than one place at one time. We can work, be a parent, and stay up-to-date with everyone else’s lives, all at once. BUT CAN WE?

I believe God did not create us this way. God created us as humans. With limitations. There is a reason why the creators of social media apps have age limitations in the fine print and why developers of these devices often speak against the use of them at younger ages. But who reads that? We are our own selves. We can figure out what’s right for ourselves, can’t we? And for our kids?

I don’t believe we can. We need GOD to guide our steps. We need to look to HIM for what His original intent for us was when He created us. I know, I know, sin came into the world. But that is the daily battle we are up against. Sin. Brokenness. A world that tells us what we need. The voice is incredibly loud, but if we tune in, God’s voice CAN be louder. It just matters what we are choosing to listen to.

I am not against technology. I am typing on my laptop at this very moment, communication with you. It’s a far cry from playing Lemmings on the desktop computer I grew up with and instant messaging my friends.

But now what? What are some practical ways we can keep our use of and maybe even addictions in check? The word “addiction” may seem extreme, but it’s the uncontrollable urge to do something, despite the consequences (in simple terms).

So here are some of my thoughts.

1. Get an actual alarm clock. Charge your phone in another room. Keep the ringer on so that if an emergency occurs, you can hear it ring, but turn off all notifications.
2. Set time limits on apps. You can do this by going into your Settings, scrolling down to Screen Time (on an iPhone), then App Limits. Choose your limits. Also in the Settings, go to Focus Time, then “Do Not Disturb” and you can shut off text messaging (but can choose certain people to hear from if needed). The messages will still come through and if you open the app they’ll be there, you just won’t get the notification.
3. When at home, especially during dinnertime, turn your phone on silent, so that YOU can determine when you want to be attentive to everyone else.
4. Constantly check your dependency. Mindless scrolling? Having to look at “one more thing”? Following the click-bait algorithms? When you are “shopping” for one thing and the internet tells you to buy 10 more things in the process?

I am beyond grateful for technology. If it wasn’t for it, I wouldn’t have connected with as many people from all over the world, as I have through my health journeys. I wouldn’t be writing this blog (for the past 16 years). I wouldn’t be able to communicate with my husband on his hunting trip.

There is SO MUCH GOOD.

But with the good, in a broken world, often comes the bad. And that’s what I want to ensure that we keep in check.

What are your thoughts? Do you remember a world without “having it all” at our fingertips? What do you miss? What are you grateful for?