A Day Without Technology By: Anna Dyer

2011-02-17T12:44:00.000-08:00

I was involved in a project for my CI 2300 class called living one day without technology. I completely dreaded this project up until the day it began, because I knew that I would have a hard time with it. In anticipating this project, I fully recognized how much of an effect technology has on my life. I am constantly checking my cell phone, even if it is just to see the time, and I use my computer quite often as well. However, eventually the day that I had decided would be my digital sabbath day arrived. I chose to spend an entire day without technology on Sunday, February 13, 2011.

I was out late on Saturday night and knew I would not be able to use technology all day on Sunday, so I was expecting to sleep in.

I woke up around 10:30am on Sunday and went to take a shower. I had to work from 11:30 until 5:00pm at my job, Capone's Pizza & Bar.

I did have to ring in orders on the computer in order to send the orders to the cook, but I did not count this as using technology (even though I know it technically was) because it was for a job I had to complete and not for my own pleasure or entertainment.

I got off work at 5:00pm and decided to make dinner for myself. This was a tough task, as I thought to myself: Would using a microwave or a stove be considered using technology? Then, I decided to order food instead from my favorite restaurant, Hob Nob Farm Cafe, so I could avoid the issue altogether.

As I sat down ready to order my meal to-go, I realized I could not call them on my phone or order it online because that would be using technology. I walked over to Hob Nob and ordered my food in person, and then sat down to wait for it to be ready. It's hard to sit down and not do anything at all, usually it is such a habit to check my cell phone or send a text just to be doing something. I found myself wishing I had brought a book along to read while I waited. Instead, I sat there and used the time to reflect and basically meditate on my current life. I ended up enjoying the alone and quiet time I had when I would usually have been filling it up with technological distractions.

After my meal was ready, I headed back over to my house to eat it. When I got home, my roommate was back and asked me if I would like to have a Girls Night with our other two best friends. Of course, I agreed, and was very happy to be spending some time with my friends. They didn't show up until around 7:30, which gave me some extra time to find something to do. I decided to read a book in the meantime.

This is one of my all-time favorite books, and I could read it for hours, so I had no problem killing time with this novel. My friends finally arrived and we sat around to chat for a while.

It's really interesting to notice how much technology affects our lives. I noticed that we often sit around on our computers together, each one of us with a laptop in our lap and a cell phone visibly nearby. This time, we didn't do that because I was spending my day without technology and they knew that. I just think it's really interesting how much of a habit it has become that we don't even really notice it that much anymore. We decided to get some wine to drink while we talked.

This is a popular wine with us, it is so tasty! So, we sat around drinking wine and talking about all sorts of things from boys to school to politics, and so on. I always enjoy it when we have a Girls Night to catch up, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Around 10:30pm, they decided it was time to head home. They are roommates as well, so they went back to their place and my roommate and I stayed home to relax. I went to my room to spend some time writing in my journal before bed.

I wrote in my journal for a while and reflected on the day. I knew my 24 hours without technology would not be up until around 10:30am the next day, since that is really when it began. I asked my roommate if she could wake me up for class so I didn't have to use an alarm clock. I laid down to go to bed and eventually drifted off into sleep. The next day I used technology just as vigorously as I usually do. I thought this was a very interesting assignment and I'm glad that I spent a full day without technology. I have to admit that it was very difficult for me. I found myself wanting to check my phone constantly, almost as if it were an addiction. I also wanted to get on the computer at certain points throughout the day, but this was easier for me to deal without. I do think that more people today are addicted to their cell phones than we realize, it just isn't the kind of addiction anyone really pays attention to. It is an acceptable addiction in our society. I realize now more than ever that technology is rampant in our world today and will probably only get more popular and hard to live without. It kind of disgusts me in a way, but I can't say a word because I am just as hooked to it as the next person. I wish I wasn't and could learn to live every day using limited amounts of technology. I don't particularly want to get wrapped up in a materialistic and superficial world. This experience makes me want to do better in life, see the bigger and more important aspects to it, and shun technology (not completely, of course, but more than I do now). Maybe I will make it a goal to cut back on my cell phone and computer use. I do appreciate this life, and I want to pay less attention to Father Time and live in the moment instead.