Saturday, March 23, 2013
Many people take vacations to “get away from it all.” Does this include technology? Not according to a study conducted by InsightExpress and cited by Andrea Smith on Mashable. Over 80% of the people surveyed said that they were bringing their cell phones along on vacation and that they would be checking personal e-mails. Other devices that were listed as being brought along were gaming devices, eReaders, CD/MP3 players, tablets, and digital cameras. The study surveyed adults with at least one child in the family who were planning on taking a vacation.
The study was seemingly conducted to determine how advertisers can best take advantage of vacationers using technology. What comes to mind for me are the barcodes on signs at many popular attractions telling you to scan them with your smart phone for more information. I have seen people from all over the world visiting Busch Gardens Williamsburg and pulling out their phones to scan the barcodes for deals and attraction information.
While I do not fall into the category of people surveyed, running across this article got me thinking. In December I went on a solo trip to London for two weeks. I did not take any electronic gadgets with me (though, to be honest, that was because I simply did not have an ounce of extra space for them!) The trip was my time to spend on my own and getting a respite from all of the daily hassles of my normal life.
I was perfectly fine without my cell phone, but I refused to give up technology on my trip. Every day I would stop into an internet café and spend 30 minutes to an hour checking on things. I did some online banking, checked my e-mail (personal, work, and school), set things up for my spring semester, confirmed flights, ordered taxis, and used social media websites. I was even able to Skype with my parents on Christmas Day. While some people may believe that staying connected like that defeats the purpose of vacationing, I was thrilled to be able to share my experiences as they were happening. (Plus, it helped my parents stop panicking when they knew was alive and well.)
I am taking another vacation in August to visit family in Guam. I plan on staying fully connected for this trip; I am taking my phone with me as well as loading my tablet up with eBooks. It will be about a 24 hour flight, and I will need as much entertainment as possible! It is great to leave all my worries behind and just enjoy myself, but for me part of that is staying in touch and connected. I think it is amazing and wonderful that I will be able to send my parents pictures of me and my nephews (who were born in New Zealand and whom I will be meeting for the first time) as they are being taken. I will be able to chat with my supervisor about my library’s Summer Reading Program and pay some bills – all while on the other side of the world.
Sass, E. (2006, June 30). Vacations provide no respite from gadgets. Retrieved from http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/45139/vacations-provide-no-respite-from-gadgets.html
Smith, A. (2013, March 23). Vacation disconnect doesn't mean leaving your devices behind. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2013/03/21/vacation-disconnect-devices/
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