Serve by Design

How many times recently have you heard someone disparage technology? Parents, schools, and employers regularly monitor the use of cell phones. Even our smartphones are programmed to calculate daily screen time and post the results on our home pages. The government is also concerned that certain platforms are being used to steal personal identities or track citizen movement. Some of this caution is justified because there are innumerable “bad actors” out there who are engaged in nefarious activities and disruptions. Daily, we read or hear about security breaches! Image credit: clipart-library.com Cybersecurity is one of the fastest growing industries today. A recent study revealed that there are 3.4 million cybersecurity jobs in the workforce. The number of college bachelor students seeking a degree in cyber engineering doubled from 3500 to over 7000 between 2018 and 2022! It is understandable that we should exercise some vigilance in the use of technology and avoid bad screen time. T...

Mimi has upgraded her iPhone and is slowly adjusting to it. Lately, she has been visiting her setting's app more times than she would care to count! I have gotten in on some of the resets. I was pulling the comforter on my bed back recently and heard what I thought was her signature phone ringtone sounding very loudly from one of the extra bedrooms. Upon investigation, I discovered it was a back-up iPad ringing FaceTime instead. When I opened the device to power it down, I was surprised to see our five-year-old granddaughter in all of her beauty. I immediately said, “Hello, sweet girl, what are you doing back here in Mimi’s work room?” Without responding to my funny question, she simply greeted me, “Hi Poppi!” That kid melts my heart every time she calls! Even though she and her family just returned home to New Mexico from a two-week visit here in Illinois, she still loves to talk with us face to face! It’s a connection we can’t resist! Face-to-Face Connection Image Credit: clipa...