Technology Dependency

So recently I have become aware just how addicted to my phone I really am. It's almost an instinctive reaction that when my phone goes off I will check it. It doesn't matter where I am or who I'm with or even what I'm doing. I won't even realise it's happening until my phone is in my hand and I've looked down. It's usually nothing important (mainly just letting me know someone has "liked" a status or a friend had updated their facebook status). I know it's usually nothing important but I can't help wanting to be there the second something important does happen.
I've noticed I'm not the only one who does this. I was recently at an end of year Christmas celebration, looking around the room I would see groups of people, not talking, but simply on their phones. People say there is no way we could live with out our phones yet if we go back just 10 years ago how many of us can say we even had a phone let alone couldn't live without it. I had survived my entire life up to this year with a smartphone. Yet I would find it incredibly difficult to survive without it now.
Even getting this blog to you I am relying on technology to get the job done. We rely on computers and internet to do almost every job, even applying for jobs can be done online. Our lives are being over run by technology and a desire to have more. Everywhere we turn we are faced with some form of technology.
Now I'm not saying that this is all bad, for example the light-bulb is a form of technology that we have grown to need, yet I don't see this as a bad thing. Technology, when used correctly, can help further our civilization. Yet when we become addicted then technology becomes a problem, when we sit there for hours playing computer games, or sit at a party checking our online social lives instead of engaging in the social life around you, this is when we have a problem. I am guilty of these things as well, one of my favourite pass times is playing my Xbox while I have facebook open. I then complain I have no time do anything.
So here is my challenge to all of you who read my blog. Spend a day away from indulgent technology, see how much more you can get done. Will you're life improve or will you find it's better with technology? Will you be able to go a day without checking facebook?

Marriage Equality

We had it, and now it's gone. I'm from Australia and for a brief few days we had marriage equality, it was to the point of same sex couples actually getting married. Everything seemed to be going great, perhaps the new government wasn't as bad as everyone was making it out to be. Turns out the public was right about the new government. For reasons I can't full comprehend they Federal Government decided to take the new Marriage Equality Act (which was a state law for the Australian Capital Territory) that had already been passed, and bring it to the High Court and challenge it.

I just don't see why they needed to challenge the act, it had passed and was doing absolutely no harm to anyone. In fact it made Australia a better place to be in, but for whatever reason the government had they challenged it. They believed it went against the current marriage laws and that meant it was illegal and had to be stopped. 

Now this wouldn't of been a problem if the High Court could see that the government was only having a bit of a tantrum because someone found a loop hole in their law. But the High Court didn't see it this way. Instead they decided to rule in favour of the Federal Government and remove the Marriage Equality Act. Now keep in mind that people had been getting married since Saturday and the High Court didn't make a decision until Thursday. This mean we have had almost a week of same sex couples getting married and literally nothing changed. Except nearly 30 couples were able to take a further step in their relationship and decide that they love a certain person enough to get married and commit themselves to each other for the rest of their lives. 

So for a brief 6 days Australia (well the ACT) had taken a step forward into becoming an accepting and open country where people can feel safe and secure and most importantly, feel like they belong no matter what. 

Now thanks to the Federal Government and it's leader Tony Abbott (who's sister is a lesbian I might add) our country has slipped back even further than when we started. 

Same sex marriage is about equality amongst the human race, how can Australia claim to be accepting of all people if we won't even let people of the same gender get married! (And don't get me started on how the Australian government treats refugees)