I challenge you to turn off the cellphone, unplug the television, disconnect the internet, and remove the rest of the technological devices you use in your daily life for an entire day.
“Going offline is similar to quitting drinking or smoking,” say researchers at the University of Maryland. This indicates how seriously addicted humans have become attached to technology.
You are probably thinking quitting technology would be harder than finishing a triathlon or getting accepted into Harvard Law School. But in reality all you have to do is to turn off the switch. I know, because I did it for a week last year as part of an English project.
“I have been accused of clutching my phone as though I were drowning and it was the only thing that could save me,” says Jake Reilly, who realized his own addiction, and wanted a change.
Reilly, a college student, developed an “Amish Project” for himself where he went 90 days without technology. This is a ginormous challenge since he went from October to December without his phone, email, and all social media sites. He recorded his feelings, thoughts, and personal experiences in a journal he kept throughout his experiment.
“I had relationships with people, not profile pages,” Reilly says reflecting on his experience. “We’re getting to the point where if you’re not responding to people’s text messages within an hour of when they send them, or within a day for emails, it’s just socially unacceptable,” Reilly believes. Everyone at one point or another has had the experience of dealing with bosses, relatives, and friends that contact them virtually and expect an instant response. If you do not respond in the time frame they desire, they will feel disconnected and ignored.
Some students in the Sophomore English II Honors class have the option of emulating what Reilly did by conducting a “Technology Cleanse” as a project that ties in with the book, Fahrenheit 451. For a week students disconnect themselves from the internet, email, cell phone, iPod, and television. Through this experience they learn about their attachment to technology. Although this is not surprisingly the least picked project, those who do it find positive results.
People who fear the long-term impact of technology on our generation are always thinking of new ways to become “technology free,” even if it is only for a couple of hours.
A group of Jewish creative professionals called “Reboot” created the “Sabbath Manifesto”. In the Jewish religion, the Sabbath is the day of rest which takes place on a Saturday. They said that avoiding technology should be part of observing the weekly “day of rest”.
This same group also created a “National Day of Unplugging” last year. According to past participants, they claim that it was rather successful. People partaking in this event must not use any form of technology for 24 hours. This year it will take place from sundown on Friday, March 23, until sundown on Saturday, March 24.
“National Day of Unplugging” or the concept of going without technology is starting to become more popular and even television shows are touching upon this event. “Modern Family” touched upon this concept with the Dunphys trying to be technology-free for a week.
No matter whom you are, what you do, or how you feel towards technology, you can easily factor out technology from your lifestyle, at least once in a while. Jake Reilly did it, I did it, and so can you.