How Much Technology Is Enough?
The endless stream of new technology coming to consumers can be overwhelming. And although we think of this as a phenomenon of the 21st century, it’s been going on much longer than that.
At the heart of it has been the development of electricity. Innovations had been coming along before that, but the breakneck speed of technological growth is centered largely on electrical and electronic devices.
The array of options available to consumers today is overwhelming. For some, it’s exciting to think of the ways they can use new gadgets and systems to their advantage. For others, it’s intimidating, and they find themselves just trying to stay afloat, implementing only the inventions that they can’t avoid.
The rest of us fall somewhere in the middle. We don’t sprint to the store for every new product or even every new version of existing products, but we are willing to try things out when we see there’s a way that a new product can help us.
Our criteria for deciding whether to adopt something new aren’t usually centered on the cost or complexity The question is usually a matter of how it will help us–what it will do to protect our families, save us money, help the environment, or achieve other goals that are important to us. Use these criteria to analyze your technological options and determine if they’re worth your investment.
Family Safety
When it comes to the safety of our children, technology is an easy sell. One provider of home security phoenix residents can work with covers this area in ways that many people would never think about. We all expect home security to notify authorities when a door or window is opened without proper credentials, but this company can go much further.
Concerned about criminals working under cover of darkness? You can get night vision cameras. Wanting to keep up with your home when you’re miles away? Their app lets you access all their functions right in your hand. You can even integrate medical monitoring in case someone in your home has health issues. In short, any threat to your family’s safety or health can be addressed.
Energy Savings
As we’ve noted on security, one of the best technological developments is the ability to monitor our homes remotely. We think of security first–alarms, cameras, and even door locks–but there’s more we can do, and it’s worth doing.
Remote management of thermostats is a great way to save money, and just as important, it’s a great way to save energy. Programmable thermostats have long provided a way to be sure to adjust temperatures daily when we’re away, but when our routine changes, we can now manage it manually as well.
This can play a major role in our overall home climate control plan, right there with system design, insulation, and using trees to shade the home. It can help make sure that the kids don’t get carried away with the AC when we aren’t home, and it can even help detect a problem by indicating when the house temperature isn’t reacting to the thermostat setting.
Simplifying Life
The happiest families today are the ones who can not just plan their routines but also can react to unplanned circumstances. Many of us utilize slow cookers and oven timers to simplify weeknight meals, but what happens when a meeting runs long or a soccer game is suddenly scheduled? We may have to run home and alter the automated meal, wasting food or making an unnecessary trip.
Tech can work around that. We can use apps to operate home appliances and even do online comparison shopping to get the best prices for groceries.
Not every family needs a 3D printer or a phone so crammed with apps that we can’t make a call. But there are worthwhile technological options available to help us achieve the things that are important to us, and to achieve them faster, more easily, and more affordably than ever.