Moms are the self-proclaimed champions of multitasking.  It’s a title many women wear with as much pride as their Baby Bjorn carrier (the ultimate multitasking mommy tool, by the way.) When the kids need to be at school in ten minutes, Mom can throw together lunch bags, stuff little feet into tube socks, retrieve dusty winter boots from the basement, blow a couple of noses, fashion long locks into a ponytail, grab a coffee to go and coral distracted kids into the minivan.  No matter that she forgot to take off her slippers… the kids got to school on time and thankfully, no one saw her feet. 

Clearly, today’s moms rock the multitask.  But are we fooling ourselves into believing that our time spent looking into our screens is yet another task we can add seamlessly into our family’s agenda?

A new study by Disney Online’s M.O.M. (Mom on a Mission) indicates that moms spend 24 hours online every week.  Apparently, the time moms invest on the internet is to make their lives easier.  The research indicates the internet is used for various personal reasons, including social networking with friends and family, shopping, looking for recipe and entertainment ideas.  No doubt, some of the time with google is saving precious time (just not sure about whether it is saving 24 hours worth of time every week.)

Interestingly, we spend the most time online between 5am and noon.  Typically, a really busy time of day for moms with young kids.  Does this, then, offer more evidence that we are supreme multitaskers?  Hmm, I don’t think so.  Unfortunately, the time I spend online (and I think I can speak for most people) is very single-task oriented.  I am pretty incapable of doing anything else.  Including talking to my kids.  Really talking to my kids. 

I do, however, spend much of my time in front of my laptop doing real work.  And because I work from home, my kids have trouble distinguishing the difference between my work and pleasure (I have a bit of trouble figuring that out myself sometimes.)  It is no wonder my kids often think I’m ”playing” on the computer.  But regardless of my reason for being online, I realize that the computer is not conducive to building relationships with my family.

While I try to do most of my laptop work while the kids are at school, I often sneak in extra time when they are home.  Not surprisingly, any one of my boys will walk into my office to chat with me.  Too often I’ve dismissed him.  “Gimme a second,” I’ll reply without turning my head.  He will walk away if that second expands to minutes.  If I’m not too immersed in my digital world, I’ll regret that I let him slip away.  I’ll lament that in another few years he may not want to tell me anything because he’ll be too old… too cool… to shoot the breeze with Ma.

Healthy online habits aren’t just what we teach our kids.  It’s also what we develop in ourselves.  Being tethered to my screen may be a welcome reprieve from the every day drudge of parenting, but it will also one day serve as a cold reminder of those missed opportunities to talk face to face when my grown up sons tell me to DM them on Twitter.  I’ve decided I’m going to listen when they talk.  Yes, turn my eyes away from the artificial light of my screen and look into the bright eyes of my kids.  After all, oftentimes what they want to tell me takes no less time than it would to write and send a tweet.  But it’s a heck of a lot more gratifying.

Image: Filomena Scalise / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Where any two people are gathered in my name, there am I.¬† While this phrase would be familiar to anyone who¬†knows the Bible, it could just as easily be translated as a quote from any brand marketer.¬† That’s because the constant gathering of voices and opinions on the internet has opened up a deluge of possibilities for marketers to push their brand.¬† While three people chatting in a living room don’t have reason to worry that anyone is eavesdropping or that a “spy” is among them dropping hints about the best new coffee to hit North America, those same three people cannot be so certain of their privacy if their “chat”¬†moves online.¬† Companies and their marketers are on the prowl for every opportunity to re-enforce a brand’s¬†image¬†that is meant to¬†convince people they need to buy it.¬† Don’t believe me?¬† Consider newly launched social networking site Tinker.com.

According to Advertising Age, this new social networking site, launched by Glam Media,¬†has been created to help companies market their brands.¬† It is based on the same premise as Twitter (did you catch the similarity in name?), but instead of following people, Tinker “is¬†the place to go see what events people are twittering about” According to Glam Media’s¬†Joe Lagani.¬†¬†The site sells itself to users as a place to chat about events and places.¬† However, it is actually a serious marketing tool¬†for companies who wish to get their brand in front of those consumers that are most likely to be interested in their product.¬† Companies can go so far as to filter what is being said about events to ensure the conversation¬†keeps the brand shining bright, including any mention of competitors.¬† Doesn’t sound like free speech to me…

In a video clip shown on Advertising Age, Joe Lagani goes on to explain to leading marketers why Glam Media developed Tinker:

“If this were your brand and your brand is being discussed out there and you were able to assemble this ongoing positive conversation about your brand or about events that you wanted your brand to be associated with how can you get that in front of your consumer.”¬†

If you didn’t notice – he said brand four times in that one sentence.¬†

There’s nothing wrong with companies trying to sell their product.¬† This is what drives their profits.¬† But people chatting online need to be¬†aware of the potential to be¬†manipulated by companies who are interested in one thing – getting their money.¬† Kids especially need to be made aware of the possibility that their conversations are being monitored by corporations.¬† They’ve embraced the digital chat rooms with little concern for who is listening and how that may effect them.¬† So, next time you or your children chat online, listen very, very carefully – because you may discover someone else is listening.