ToT: Secondhand Shopping

Secondhand shopping is such an excellent, ethical choice . . . I love it.

-It reduces environmental impact: fewer materials and less waste (both the product itself and the manufacturing), fewer shipping emissions, saves landfill space, etc.
-It supports local economy.
-It reduces the demand of new production of items and sends a message to manufacturers that more is not always more. Down with consumerism!
-It reduces the demand for items that may have been sourced or manufactured in slave conditions.
-It often supports job creation for small businesses or individuals who may not have many other opportunities. (Goodwill, for example, hires a number of employees with intellectual disabilities.)
-You can find all kinds of crazy stuff you wouldn't find elsewhere.
-You can usually get a good bargain.

Daily Detox: Screen Time

With Lent comes lots of opportunities to detox, reset, purge, refine, discipline, learn. People do this in many ways, whether simply giving up chocolate (harder for some than others!), starting new disciplines, focusing on changing attitudes, or trying to change a lifestyle. While personal Lenten (or non-Lenten, for that matter) discipline might best be done in private, I thought I would think through a few that have gotten some attention in recent years.

First up: screen time. Television, internet, video games, smart phones, any electronic gadget with a compelling screen qualifies. One study shows the average US resident watches 28 hours of television a week--4 hours a day--and spends even more time online. And it's no wonder--not only can these activities be fun, but they can produce an addictive effect! Just like with any other compulsive behavior, screen time can stimulate our brain's reward system, boosting dopamine levels and causing us to crave more, more, more.

Which is why I, like many others, have had those days where I started out with good intentions on the internet and ended up wasting more time than I ever thought possible. And who has time for that?? Furthermore, time spent with television or the internet is time spent away from flesh and blood connection, nature, emotional or personal growth, or any host of lovely human experiences. All those fast moving images and bright lights can leave us feeling zapped. It affects our abilities to sleep, to interpret subtle human cues, to relate well to people we love. It affects our stress levels, adding cognitive clutter to already very busy brains. I've even read that lots of technology correlates to lower sexual satisfaction!

I've been teased before about being a stick-in-the-mud who hates technology. We went without cable for years. I was slow to get Facebook. I don't remember the last time I played a video game (Super Mario Brothers on Super Nintendo?). I refuse to get a smart phone. (Too many OCD tendencies--no one needs me to have THAT much access to my work email!) But I, too, am capable of falling down the slippery slope of too much screen time.

So here's one idea: cut back, on purpose! I have tried limiting myself to checking email accounts (including Facebook) NO MORE than twice a day. For some people, that might seem like a lot. For others, maybe for procrastinators who spend a LOT of time on the computer for work/research purposes, this is a very good idea. Around here, we try to avoid channel surfing. We try to watch TV on purpose, just sometimes. Old habits die hard, though. It is shocking (and somewhat disappointing) how difficult this can be, but I can tell my anxiety level is dropping and my peace of mind is increasing. I have more time and energy for things that are really important, including other people. Better sleep, better relationships, better me. It's so worth it!

Blood Cell Phones

Ok, Ben and I both have really ancient cell phones. We are mocked regularly. Obviously, we really don't care. There are a few reasons for our exceedingly unhip phones, which include the following:

a) Neither of us want to be chased constantly by our email or the internet, thus no smart phone

b) We have better things to spend our hard-earned money on than fancy phones and data plans

c) We just aren't that interested in electronics

d) We are humiliated and disgusted at the sourcing for materials for phones

The answer is e) all of the above.

Now, the time has come to shop for a new cell phone. The one I use currently is over 5 years old and waaaaaay past its prime--not good when my work depends on it. While I am miffed at the whole concept of planned obsolescence--why not make phones that are designed to last for those of us not into the latest and greatest?--I am far more disturbed at the thought that my purchase of electronics contributes to unspeakable atrocities half a world away.

What's a woman to do? There are no electronics on our market labeled conflict-free. And yet, for middle-class professionals, our culture essentially demands that we use them.

I am fully aware of my option to go ascetic. (In the eyes of some of my peers, using my apparently ancient phone qualifies.) But that would require me to change careers, finding a place where my clients don't need 24-hour access and I don't have to use a computer to document every interaction. I could turn a blind eye and buy a new phone anyway--we all know that individual boycotts have very little effect on the big picture.

Or, I could get creative. I could let my phone company know I am disgusted at my options (and I plan to!). And I can buy refurbished. Ok, the blood minerals are already in there, and that is not OK with me. But I don't increase demand for these products; in fact, my purchase will indicate that reusing resources and minimizing new production is important to me. And my letter will connect that to the need for ethically sourced minerals.

It's small, maybe, and plenty of people will tell me I am overthinking. I just can't imagine the women and children who endure rape and torture at the hands of the people selling the minerals think it is all worth it, so long as the thirty-something social worker in Indiana gets a cell phone.