My digital agenda is my nanny

Google helps me and my cat get things done

OpinionsHarrison Swan Yue — Published October 17, 2021 2 minutes

I bought a physical agenda, but forgot to write in it. This is mainly because a paper book doesn’t yell at me about my schedule or homework the same way my phone and computer do. When I’m doing something on these devices, it’s comforting to know that notifications will pop into existence when I need them to. 

For instance, I have a notification to create notifications on my calendar. 

Once a month I go through all the events I know about and mark them on my Google Calendar. I set the reminders for 8 a.m. the morning of the given days, and a second reminder 30 minutes before the events. I do this because I am fully indoctrinated into Google and have my own robotic nanny in the form of Google Home. 

My Google Home sits next to my bed, with the screen facing me. This way, when I turn off the alarm, I can read what I have to do for the day. I get up and do what needs to be done when it needs to be done, jingles and buzzing alerting me throughout my day.

Without my calendar, I’d be pretty useless, or at least very late with everything. I still am sometimes, but the consistency of my work has never been better. This system is now essential because I moved out and live alone. I don’t have a human voice telling me things, it's now automated.

My cat loves this digital voice too, because it dictates feeding times, litter clean up, and when new packages are arriving. I feel like she thinks that my Google Home is the real owner, and I’m just some automaton that carries out its will.

She’s not entirely wrong. 

Without my Google Calendar I would probably be able to manage. But with it, I'm much more productive and happy.