a fresh look at our connected lives

Nothing's free, but sometime it's hard to know what the cost of something truly is. Our connected lives are filled with things that cost time, money, privacy and (amongst others), emotional stability. There are great benefits as well - extended communities, global connections, new perspectives, endless opportunities - to name a few, but each of these, like everything IRL, comes with a price. I'll use Messages as an example. I love to keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues through Messages. The convenience of quick a quick response, a shared story or a fast paced minimal exchange is invaluable, but each ding is a call for my attention and it takes me away from whatever I'm doing at the moment. Even on silent, the buzzing notifications hit my core and the "I need to check it RIGHT NOW" message is delivered from my brain to my hand and my eyeballs. At times, the cost of this great convenience is too high for my mental well being, and as a result, my phone gets left in bags, pockets and high shelves. This "free" service is only as great as my life is balanced.