Technology Disconnect Reflection

As some of you may know my first project for this course was to disconnect from technology for 24 hours. You really don’t realize how reliant upon technology we are in every minute of our day until you remove it. Overall my 24 hours of disconnecting went fairly well, it did have some struggles and temptations however. My day began with a different alarm sounding, because I usually use my cell phone as my alarm clock. I had borrowed a standard alarm clock from my parents to use during the disconnect. As the day passed I realized how bored I quickly had become without checking social media after classes and in my free time. I think two of the toughest things for me to give up we're listening to music while I was exercising and not being able to just turn on the tv or music while I was doing homework or a variety of things.

Oddly enough one of the easiest things was giving up my cell phone. I had left my cell phone in my roommate's room so I wouldn’t be tempted or accidentally use it. Without my cell phone I got a lot of things done and I was much less distracted throughout the day. However I will not say just because it was easier to give up than others, doesn’t mean it was actually easy to go without. I think what surprised me the most throughout my day was how much I seen others obsessively looking at their phones throughout the day. Also how many times I encounter technology through my day. When I was in my friends car driving I couldn’t listen to the radio, or when my roommates were in the living room watching the tv, I couldn’t join them. Even the slightest things when my roommate would say “hey, look at this on my phone” or “hey did you see that person's post on Instagram”, I almost slipped up not realizing what I would be doing. It was frustrating sitting in a room with my roommates when they would all be listening to music or Netflix through their headphones or scrolling through social media on their phone. It was very quiet at times and all I wanted to do was talk to pass the time.

I think my disconnect was tough on my mom. She was not happy when I told her she wouldn’t be able to get ahold of me for 24 hours. Also my roommates had a tough time, because they would forget that I couldn’t check my phone or join them during a movie and a variety of things. Overall I wouldn’t say that I overly enjoyed this assignment, but it did give me some perspective on how much technology exists in my life. I wouldn’t attempt a disconnect again however, because it takes a lot of planning and willpower to succeed. In the end I realized how much I appreciate the technology in our lives.