The Digital Diet

Today, I heard the term "Digital Diet" for the first time. I slowly digested the idea that I may be in need of a digital diet, but the idea that I would sever the electronic cord that keeps me connected was, quite honestly, inconceivable. I started to list all the ways that I depend on technology to feed me: I communicate with friends; I follow local and national events, breaking news, and pop culture; I read articles and books; I shop; I discover new artists and download music; I shop; I track my child's progress in math; and, to an extent, my alter-ego lives in the digital world. My appetite for apps is voracious and my virtual plate is filled with a gluttonous array of digital offerings. I have forgotten what it felt like to be content with less information, less contact, less batteries, and more time.

As a child, I was lucky enough to have space to play. Sometimes acres and acres of space to play. We didn't have cable. Earlier than most, we got a personal computer, but it was a big, bulky hulk of a machine, and you had to know (and remember) commands. Run, Menu, Exit. We didn't have the internet. A stick, two acorns, and a pile of mud in the shade of a big oak tree would have kept me busy for hours, if not days. I frequently*gasp* used encyclopedias to find information.

Now, I am the parent of an eight year-old daughter. But...I remember being eight. I remember playing a lot more. I remember running, getting dirty. These days, my daughter pesters me for a cell phone. She has a social networking account on multiple sites because, these days, even little stuffed animals come with access to a website. She does her homework online. She buys her school lunch merely by providing a thumbprint. Here is where it really gets scary: My four year-old twins know how to operate the Wii without assistance. They can navigate Netflix. They frequently steal my smartphone to play games.

Has our menu expanded too much? Am I normal to sometimes feel completely overwhelmed by all the information I digest, only to waffle and start craving more? Do I help my children by teaching them to exist in this new world, or am I merely setting them up for multiple sessions with a therapist when they become overwhelmed by the digital race? This was not the running I did as a child. This was not the menu I perused as a young adult. Is it time for us to go on a digital diet, or do we follow the precepts set forth by some weight-loss experts?

Everything in moderation.