Continued from Part 1: http://wp.me/ppImQ-o7

I’d read reports about cell phone radiation weakening bones, affecting sperm quality, links to brain cancer, tumors, and Alzheimer’s, interference with sleep, radiation on skin, and it’s addictiveness.  (Click to find out which phones are safest.) http://www.sarshield.com/english/news.htm

I’d even heard reports blaming the increase of Prostate cancer on the increased use of cell phones because men wear them on their waist belts.  http://www.pri.org/health/cell-phone-use-and-cancer1926.html

And yet I finally gave in and purchased the Droid.  Blame that on my son-in-law who kept encouraging us to check out the Droid.  Within a few days I could see why people were robotic-ally glued to their cell phones.  Within minutes it became apparent what the hoopla was all about.  I was helping my daughter move into her new home in New York and the Internet was not yet hooked up.  So on the Droid I was able to book my flight, check several email accounts, and update my Facebook page.  I then played Poke a Mole with my three-year old grandson.  I even listened to some books on tape while I hemmed curtains.

On the way to the airport, we used the Droid’s GPS to find the airport in Syracuse.  I checked in for my flight on the way using my Droid and checked to see if I could find a window seat.  When I got to the kiosk, I was able to print out my boarding pass by simply scanning the bar-code from my email that was on my Droid screen.  And that’s just the beginning of the 50 apps I downloaded just to see what they could do.

A day after I got home, my 12-year daughter needed help with ‘Factoring Perfect Square Trinomials or something to that effect.  I didn’t have a clue.  So, I did a voice search on my Droid and it pulled up a You-tube video that explained it to her easier than her teacher had.  I cooked dinner for my son who turned 29 and his fiancee.  After dinner my husband made an observation.  Everyone (except him) was on their cell phones.  No one was talking to each other about anything except their phones.  Normally we would be talking, joking around, watching TV together or playing a board game.  My husband is the sole hold-out.  He has a plain phone still.  It’s easy to get addicted to these new phones.  I’m still concerned about the children  growing up on these phones.  My 22 year old would go to sleep with the phone on her ear.  Researchers are concerned about brain tumors or cancer and that it will be years before we see the long term effect from the phones.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/prominent-cancer-doctor-warns-about-cellphones/

So now, I sit here conflicted while writing an article on ‘Embracing Change.”  As with all things, there is a delicate balance that has to be held.  It is possible to get too much of a good thing.  I guess it’s like the song on friendship.  “Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other is gold.” We’ve got to make friends with the new technology, but be careful that we don’t lose out on our golden relationships in the process.  Technology shouldn’t replace face to face conversations, spending time with loved ones, and …Hold on my Droid is alerting me that I have a new email…

Barbara Talley is a keynote speaker, author of six books, and trainer on value-based living themes.  She also offers Effective Communication, Diversity, Leadership, Time Management, and Goal Setting workshops.  Visit her at www.thepoetspeaks.com or contact her at 301-428-4831.  You may email her at Barbara@ThePoetSpeaks.com