Me and Mr. Gadget by Chioma Momah
Last year we made New Year resolutions and my then 10 year old son said, “Mom yours should be to stop spending so much time on your phone” , he was right. Like many women I was engaged in an affair; it lasted all day, starting with Instagram in the morning, whatsapp at noon, Blackberry messenger throughout the day with a sprinkle of gossip courtesy Linda Ikeji and then off to bed in the loving embrace of Facebook. Other women have similar relationships with good old television obsessing over Scandal or soaps on Telemundo.
The amount of time some women spend on social media and television may not be seen as a big deal until you actually do an analysis and quantify just how much time it takes up. It is really sad that this addiction is also robbing our spouses and children of valuable quality time. While exchanging e-mails with a man who was about to become a father, I praised him for the interest he was showing regarding preparations for where his baby would be delivered, his response… “What else can I do? My wife spends all her time reading blogs so I need to get stuff organized”.
Another friend narrated how her husband got her a new phone and asked her to give up her blackberry as she never paid him any attention when she got caught up chatting, months later she uploaded the blackberry app on her new phone. Guess the joke was on him! Lol!
Seriously, apart from the seemingly harmless chats, a lot of women have actually gotten into trouble when they rekindle old flames online and start serious affairs which could ultimately ruin their marriages. Social media also has a way of creating unrealistic expectations and unhealthy competition as you may begin to envy your friend who constantly posts pictures of her and “bae” in some exotic spot or shows off her latest Chanel bag.
As discerning adults we should learn to discipline ourselves when we start getting a tad obsessed with our gadgets…after all they were made to help us not harm us.
Written by by Chioma Momah
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