Thoughts from Everyday Life

First thing in the morning, before I’m fully awake, my phone asks if I’m ready to join the day. The Sleep app offers its opinion on how well I rested—or whether I should still be tired—which feels a lot like a polite suggestion to stay in bed a little longer.

Then the Weather app chimes in to let me know what’s happening in the outside world. It instructs me on whether I should feel hot or cold, and whether I’m going to need a sweater.

The Calendar reminds me what day it is, what I’ve promised to do, and who I’m planning to be with.

The News app assures me the world is still standing, even if it swayed a little during the night. Only now, properly informed, can I settle in to enjoy breakfast.

Eventually, I’m out the door with Google Maps escorting me to the exact same place I go every single day. It whispers that it knows a shortcut—maybe I can save a minute here, two minutes there.

By lunchtime, T-Mobile offers a deal on something delicious, provided I can figure out how to redeem the coupon before I’m already standing at the counter paying full price. Naturally, once my entrée arrives, the Camera app comes to life. Because what is a meal if not a photo opportunity waiting to be shared? Facebook and Instagram are surely waiting on standby to admire my sandwich.

On the drive home, CarPlay keeps me company. A podcast drifts through the speakers while Maps hums quietly in the background, guiding me safely home.

Oh yes—somewhere in all of this, I remember to check Yahoo. And Gmail.

As dinner approaches, I consult Google about what I should cook.

And of course, I can’t forget ChatGPT, who kindly informs me if my periods and commas are in the right places—while also diagnosing why my oven light refuses to turn off and why my right foot hurts.

When I pause long enough to notice, it’s amazing how much this little glass rectangle does for me. It tells me how I slept, what the sky is doing, where I’m going, how many steps I took, what the world is up to, what to eat, what to listen to, what to cook—and whether I’ve used too many commas.

It leaves remarkably little to chance.

But somewhere in all of that, I wonder if there’s one app we haven’t invented yet.

An app that tells us when to put the phone down.

An app that reminds us to look out the window instead of checking the radar.
To talk to the person across the table instead of checking our notifications.
To take the long way home, even when Maps knows a faster one.
To eat the meal without photographing it.
To just live the ordinary day while we’re busy making sure we don’t miss a thing.

Maybe that’s the app we need most.

Of course, there’s probably an app for that, too.

I just haven’t downloaded it yet.