Life in a Matrix

I took my daughter for her first term at University yesterday. A difficult day for all of us but I know she will have a fabulous time.

However, technology has made this a very different experience than it was in my day. Once my parents dropped me off, they were dependent on me remembering to call and standing in the queue for the payphone (sorry Mum & Dad). There was no realistic way to keep in contact with school friends at different universities, so we didn’t

Today with all the communication tools available, we are far more connected. When we got home, we were already able to see and talk to her in her room on Skype and I got an MSN message this morning telling me about her first day. Strangely, she will not let me on her Facebook – apparently, this is where the line is drawn

Is it a good thing? Well it is certainly reassuring for a parent but it is mighty hard not to keep connecting when you see your kids online – we will have to learn the balance between staying in touch and undermining autonomy.

It’s very quiet in the house.