More Than a Search Engine: Why Family Wisdom Still Matters

I come from a time when, if a woman had a question, she would go to Momma or Grandma. Whether it was for a recipe or advice on how to help a colicky baby, they knew best. They’d been through it all. Now, the first thing we do is turn to the internet. How much do we miss by going to Google instead of going to Grandma?

What we lose when we replace people with screens

In a world filled with AI, answers are only a click away. We no longer have to sit with a question, work through it, or take the time to learn from someone else. But AI can’t give us what flesh and blood can. There’s no heart and soul behind it, no firsthand experience, and certainly no love. 

What can online mom groups offer that our own moms can’t? Sure, you can quickly search online for potty training tips or how to make a smooth creamy gravy, but you can’t replace Grandma standing at the stove with a fork in hand showing you how to slowly drag it across the bottom of a cast iron skillet through flour, bacon grease and milk until you get that perfect consistency. Google can’t hold your baby’s hand while she climbs onto a stool to get on the “big girl potty” and sing silly songs until she finally tinkles. Oh, how much we miss by turning on a screen for help.

Generational wisdom

Where are the days when Mom would come to help during the first week after Baby was born? My mother taught me how to bathe my babies, warm a bottle and do all the mommy things. 

Now our children are grown, some married, and I hope they forever pepper me with questions.

I’m not saying the internet isn’t a wonderful tool. It absolutely has its time and place and I use it daily. But in many ways, it has robbed us of the opportunity to connect with others and learn from those who carry the wisdom and experience we’re searching for. I don’t want to appear to be beating a dead horse here. Please don’t get me wrong. I am not anti-technology, but the internet cannot and should not replace interaction.

How to reclaim personal connection in a screen-filled world

Be intentional with your screen time. Don’t be so quick to grab your phone unless it’s to make a call. Let your device be a tool that will help you connect rather than replace personal interaction.

Engage and Interact. Put yourself in places where face-to-face connection can happen. Attend family gatherings, host family meals, meet a friend for coffee, and participate in community functions. 

Learn to Listen. How many times have you had someone introduce themselves, only to have their name slip your mind moments later? We have forgotten how to truly listen. Slow down and focus on paying attention to what people say. We can take away little nuggets of wisdom from every conversation, if we will only listen.

Be understanding. A personal connection isn’t just about you. Asking for help doesn’t just benefit you. Are you familiar with the reference “it’s more blessed to give than to receive?” People like to feel needed and feel blessed to be a blessing. By reaching out to a loved one, you could be making their day.

The next time you need a recipe, have a gardening question, need help with your teen or toddler, or are searching for advice of any kind, I encourage you to first pick up the phone and call someone before you “Google.” Sometimes the best answers come from those you love most. And those you love most, love to help you find your answers.

There are no answers. Only the search.

-Grandma Ivy, Pure Country

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