When I was 17 and living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia our family decided to save money by not getting internet at our house. I had to walk two blocks to the internet cafe and pay 2,000 riel (50 cents) an hour to sit at a computer and check my e-mail. I hoped for one of the computers in the front because the computers in the back were ...so . . . . . s l o w. It felt so disappointing to open up my e-mail and only get two or three short responses especially after I had taken time to write out a decent letter. And then after taking time to reply, the conversation would usually stop after two or three exchanges. I'm sure you can imagine my bruised, teenage heart if I got the double whammy: slow-as-a-snail computer in the back and no emails. I craved interaction with my friends and family on the other side of the world. I couldn't understand why people with internet conveniently in their homes couldn't spend time to write me back.
Convenience sometimes makes us take things for granted. I take technology for granted. I forget how spoiled I am. When I have down-time at work I check my facebook. I read some blogs. Check my facebook again. Maybe comment on someone's picture or their status. Check my e-mail. And then check facebook again. I fear that the convenience of omnipresent internet has dulled my appreciation for deeper interaction that is possible through this incredible technology we have access to. It takes time to build deeper relationships and it takes effort on our end that may not be reciprocated. I want to take advantage of convenience. No more of this taking-for-granted business.
