“My day without technology was a nightmare,” one student exclaims at the start of her final presentation on technology, nature, and her inner experiences of both. This exclamation has amused me so much that I have repeated it many times throughout the day when describing this project to other students and colleagues at Saint Francis University, a small university tucked away in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains in central Pennsylvania.
As part of the curriculum for my Environmental Sociology class, students are asked to journal two different but related types of experiences: two days without technology and 6 times in nature, alone without cell phones or iPods . Their reactions to these kinds of experiences are surprisingly profound and surprisingly life-changing, but actually life-enhancing. In this article I will relate their experiences with the days without technology.
For this task, I have given them some instructions, but I have left it up to them how they want to define a “day” without technology. Knowing how addicted most of my college students are to their cell phones, Facebook-enabled laptops, and iPods, I hate to tell you how long they have to go without such props. Some students really go out of their way and define a day as a real day, from sunrise to after dinner. Others may only define one hour as their ‘day’. I ask you to consider the following questions and write about them in your journals.
How does it feel to spend a day without technology? What effect does it have on your mood? Your mind? your emotions? What differences do you notice between a technological day and a day without technology? similarities? What are some of the things you like about a day without technology and why? What did you not like and why? How has being technology-free affected your social interactions? explain. Please describe any other comments.
In our culture, most of us have become dependent on communication technology in one way or another. And most of us have become dependent on that technology without realizing how much we depend on it. For example, we send text messages to our friends, publish a blog and ‘Facebook’ (and create a new verb in the process). With college students, I am surprised and secretly moved by how often they call their parents. Many students reported calling their parents every day. Others said they called their parents, usually their mom, between classes. Some students complained about missing meetings or practices without technology (apparently their schedule changes every day and this is how they are informed).
On the other hand, I am also dismayed by the amount of computer interaction that has replaced face-to-face interaction with college students who live down the hall from each other. They inform me that they could instant message their friend, instead of just walking down the aisle to say hello.
I have used this task for hundreds of students over the years in dozens of classes. I am always amazed at the insights this simple exercise gives you about your social interaction and lifestyle. The following are SELECTED SOME of their personal reactions:
Be present: “On a day without technology, you’re completely focused on what you’re doing and who you’re with. You don’t have any distractions that take you away from that place. My mind was focused on what I was doing.”
Being more social: “This activity made me more social because to see what time to go to dinner and what time I had to go up to people and ask them instead of texting or instant messaging them. I also notice (d) how beautiful this campus really is.
“Tech-free days (have) improved my social interactions. I engage in more conversations with my friends and girls in my bedroom than just sitting across the room IMing and texting. Talking face-to-face with people It’s more personal than just instant messaging and texting.”
Wasting time: “Ultimately, it wastes my time. The thought crossed my mind: ‘What am I really accomplishing by using technology?'”
Technology Addiction: (During a 7.5-hour bus ride to his basketball game, no technology) “I didn’t think I’d make it. When we stopped at our first rest stop, I was tempted to ask the bus driver to open the bottom of the bus, but instead my teammate encouraged me and I decided not to. When we got to the hotel, I immediately reached for my phone in my backpack because I really wanted to see my missed calls, texts, and voicemails . I felt like a drug addict. I realized how obsessed I was with my cell phone.” “(Without my phone), I didn’t know what to do with myself. I felt like I was going crazy. It definitely mixed my emotions and made me feel sad at times, but then happy again because I managed to not use my devices on the bus.”
Spending time with family: A student extended the day without technology to her family: “While I was sitting in the living room yesterday, the phone rang. I looked up and looked at our television. Our caller ID appears on all the televisions in the house. Just as I looked back at my laptop, my sister instant messaged me and asked who was calling. It was at that moment that I realized how heavily my family relies on modern technology. Later that night, I told my mom the story. She knows my sister and I live in separate rooms and only text each other if we need something. So I asked her if for one night, the four of us could do something as a group. She thought it was a great occurrence!”
They went on to play 2 games of SORRY and 1 game of SCATTERGORIES. “To our surprise, we had fun… Who knows! Maybe this will become our new tradition!”
Start a new tradition in your home! Get tech free for a day, relieve stress and maybe have some fun!