Assignment B: How many is too many?

Posted by: Shannon Nicolson

Not an exact representation of my mobile device love

I'm almost always connected to my mobile devices - two iPhones (work and personal) and an iPad.

It starts early in the morning with the (annoying) buzz of my iPhone alarm clock and a quick scroll through Twitter, Facebook and my email newsletters to prepare myself for the day ahead.  I work in digital communications so it's important to stay connected to the issues and conversation happening online.

Depending on weather conditions, I may also check #yegtraffic on Twitter to see if there are any accidents or delays that may affect my commute.

I'm less likely to reach for my mobile device during the day if I'm working at my desk. I may even forget it at the bottom of my bag and only pull it out to check on my daughter to ensure she made it home okay.

If I'm not working at my desk, it becomes my lifeline to the office - especially if there's an issue. We're a small team and need to pull together when something comes up. This can include heavy social media monitoring, responding to emails and document sharing. Today, I listened to a radio interview on SoundCloud - an audio sharing site.

My mobile use ramps up in the evening. I'm often on call so I need to stay on top of my text messages. This is the preferred method to communicate with my boss, emails are for less urgent information. I may also exchange a few text messages with friends to catch up or make plans.

For the most part, my wifi is fired up for checking Twitter and Facebook (mainly for professional interest), pouring through my Feedly stream for the latest industry news, and scanning decor ideas on Pinterest, now that I'm a new homeowner-in-waiting. My iPad is my preferred device for checking into eClass and keeping up with my other online classes. When there is downtime, we may stream the latest episode of The 100 on Netflix. Occasionally, I use my mobile apps for e-banking or purchasing a movie ticket.

As much as I love being connected, I'm conscience of the need to put down my iPhone more often, especially when hanging out with the kidlet. I admit I'm addicted to the constant flow of information but it comes at an expense to my family. This viral video - an open letter telling moms to put down their phones - has been seen more than 6 million times. I glad I'm not the only guilty one!