"The Internet is like a river..."

Jason Smith, a Google trainer from New Jersey recently came to our school.  As he was talking about the amazing-ness of the Internet, he offered pearl of wisdom which has become my new mantra.  

In my new position as the library media specialist at the high school and middle schools, I am constantly trying to learn more, to keep up with what is new, find out what's happening at other schools, as well as stay informed of local, national and world news.  

I follow blogs on Feedly, check social media posts in my professional learning networks, read book reviews and play with Google apps and recently discovered web sites. I Tweet, Instagram, and Facebook.   I check and recheck my emails.  Heaven forbid, I not answer one the minute it comes in.  

As an overachiever, I never put off until tomorrow what can be done today.  I am constantly on a device, usually my phone. 

Some might argue I am "addicted to my phone." (Those people include my father and my husband).   I would argue that I have become addicted to information and the immediacy of it.   I get home from school and am checking my phone as my son asks to play Legos. When I wake in the middle of the night and cannot go back to sleep,  I know I shouldn't but I check my phone.

Jason stated that  "The Internet is like a river, you can get in and out as you please.  Good information is constantly flowing because of reposts and shares." This one sentence has truly changed how often I pick up my phone, especially when I am at home.

The Internet is truly amazing but so is the life around us.   Balance is essential.

Thank you Jason for making this over-achiever realize that it is okay to put the phone down,
I am not going to miss anything.