I don’t remember how old I was when I first heard the concept of “the internet of things” – I was probably working at a tech company – and I remember thinking that the idea was weird. I mean who really needed their toaster or coffee maker or lights attached to the internet? Who needed their blood pressure or weight connected automatically to their doctor? It was all kind of space-age, far-out stuff.

And yet here we are. Tonight I learned how to connect my laptop and its webcam to my smart TV so when I have a Zoom call with family members across the country, I can see them on the big screen instead of just my little laptop window. I’m testing it in my bedroom, from which I can use a smart speaker to read me an audiobook or turn on the kitchen light so I don’t trip and fall while raiding the refrigerator. My holiday lights outside automatically turn on at sunset and turn off at 11pm… but I can change that any time I want to using an app on my phone. The Internet has gone so far beyond mere information exchange and has turned into a platform from which we run our day-to-day lives. I’m not 100% sure this is a good thing, because information overload has done a bit of damage to my mental health (is it January yet???), while the automation aspect means I can sit on the couch and control pretty much anything I need to without getting up and moving.

Truly a double-edged sword. I just need to be wise enough that I don’t accidentally put my eye out with it.