The Internet’s New Role in Morning Routines

Long ago, a morning routine involved a cup of Joe and a morning paper.  Soon, morning television shows crept into the picture and today, it seems, families are having a harder time escaping the enveloping influence of the Internet.  ‘Family Time,’ already under threat by varying work, school and play schedules has now come under fire from the continued need to update our Internet presence and maybe just play a game on our phones.

Texts have become a kind of in-house intercom, and many parents are concerned over this morning technology immersion, though they are hardly innocent bystanders. Setting barriers on technology use is tough and the trend towards earlier connectivity has picked up drastically in the past year.  According to Verizon, text message exchanges between 7 and 10 am have gone up 50 percent compared with last year. 

The New York Times discusses the growing role of the Internet in our lives,

Technology has shaken up plenty of life’s routines, but for many people it has completely altered the once predictable rituals at the start of the day.

This is morning in America in the Internet age. After six to eight hours of network deprivation — also known as sleep — people are increasingly waking up and lunging for cellphones and laptops, sometimes even before swinging their legs to the floor and tending to more biologically urgent activities.

“It used to be you woke up, went to the bathroom, maybe brushed your teeth and picked up the newspaper,” said Naomi S. Baron, a professor of linguistics at American University, who has written about technology’s push into everyday life. “But what we do first now has changed dramatically. I’ll be the first to admit: the first thing I do is check my e-mail.”

NYT: For Families Today, Technology Is Morning’s First Priority