I Love my iPad – Let Me Count the Ways

Last month (approximately eighteen months after I purchased my iPad 2) I finally read through the owner’s manual. This is a miracle. Truly.

I admit to being a voracious reader but I cannot for the life of me read through most instruction manuals and understand what they’re talking about.

Clearly, I have a brain anomaly.

During those frustrating moments when I would intermittently get stuck trying to figure out how to use my iPad, my son would tell me to just open an app and figure it out. Not helpful.

I felt like some ancient old-timer who can’t figure out anything without a youthful hand masterfully leading the way, tapping here and there and wha-lah magic! Problem solved.

So, when push came to shove (and the younger generation is too busy to help out) I finally re-opened the instruction app and read it.

And I was amazed at how user-friendly the instruction manual turned out to be.

At last, I found some answers to my problems and now am making far more efficient use of this cool device.

I do sincerely love my iPad (and I love my five year warranty too) because I can’t imagine not having it for work and pleasure.

Of course, with all the upsides of this nifty device, there must come a downside, right?

Yesterday I happened upon an article (not the first either) that cited the emotional problems that are arising from using too much social media. My first thought was, “Duh!” who doesn’t recognize the problem of being so plugged in to FB, tweeting, online chatting, emailing, texting…that they unplug from the real people in their lives (home and work?)

I have noticed this troubling phenomena especially on FB when people “overshare” their personal troubles to the masses who don’t know them personally and probably don’t much care. And I’ve wondered if that’s the best way to go about asking for help?

I’m not totally sold on social media as the optimal mode for getting serious help for serious problems.

On the other hand, I love it for exchanging solid helpful information; getting a bit of daily encouragement/inspiration; viewing beautiful photos (that I am unable to photograph on my own); seeing what’s trending in publishing; and of course, trying new and delicious recipes. In these ways, social media is succeeding.

But, the darker side, in my opinion, is when we opt out of face to face, personal relationships which require a lot more courage and skill to navigate for the very distant second of social media based relationships.

The bottom line is this – if you and I already have a relationship or connection outside of social media then social media will only strengthen it. However, if we only have a social media connection, there are limits to our friendship unless we make intentional choices to move beyond cyberspace. And the acceptance of that difference is important because there are limits to what I can do for you (and you can do for me via cyber-space.)

Still, I love my iPad and I’m still counting the ways…within limits, of course.