With the smell of Halloween pumpkins still lingering, the clocks going back and November suddenly upon us; surely there is only one thing now to think about – Christmas? Or perhaps not.
It all began with a post going up on Catalysis Facebook about it being ‘1 month till Christmas’. A slightly optimistic comment (it is perhaps a one month countdown till advent festivities begin) but as several shops are full of decorations, Christmas lights are being turned on this week and gift guides are taking over our magazines and papers – how can we avoid getting into the festive spirit early?
After we debated who is the biggest bah humbug in the office, conversations soon turned to Christmas and technology. We really do eat, sleep and breathe the stuff. A few comments that flew around the office; Are online cards (think moonpig.com) better than hand written cards? Is a Facebook post to wish your followers season greetings better than no message at all? Will you be tweeting on Christmas day to say happy Christmas to followers? Having a social media Christmas could be an interesting one.
For me personally, this year Christmas is more about using technology to keep in touch with my family. Come Christmas morning, for the first time I won’t be with my family. I’ll be witnessing Christmas at my boyfriends family’s house (wish me luck) so will be using Facetime on my iPhone to avoid missing out on old traditions. Sure, there will be iPhones, TVs, iPads and random cables everywhere to make sure I can have that real Christmas experience with the family. No doubt there will also be hundreds of pictures of snowy scenes (fingers crossed), gifts or mulled wine-infused friends and relatives being uploaded to social media sites throughout the festive period. I know technology can be seen as an intrusion on quality time but this connectivity makes the once unthinkable a possibility. Next year, I might even be able to share these memories in 3D.
I may not have the latest tech gadget at the top of my Christmas list, nor is it a blue box from Tiffany, but I still enjoy the influence of technology on Christmas. I like knowing I can capture the best moments, to share them with friends and family, and the fact that I don’t need to miss out on seeing the real reactions on people’s faces as they open my gifts.
A fab blog Jenny Wren!
With lots of love from your techno-phobic and adoptive mother.
E xxxx