24 Hours Without

Prior to the beginning of this experience, I had a moment in which I realized just how many things I would be giving up for 24 hours. I also realized how often I use these things. This picture shows my laptop, cell phone, Ipod, TV remote, DVD player remote, and two books I am currently reading. Truthfully, I did not want to go through with this project. However, I knew that I would undoubtedly learn from it. I remember wondering if, at the end of the 24 hours, I would feel glad to have stepped outside my comfort zone. I was curious, and finally decided to start at 12:00 am on Thursday, September 23rd.

This picture was taken in the morning. Instead of immediately calling my mother after my first class, as I always do, I sat down outside to do some homework. This made me think. Technology plays such a huge role in my life! I never even realized that my entire daily routine is practically centered around media and technology. I ended up finishing a significant amount of homework before my next class, which made me wonder if I should make this a regular part of my schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I would certainly have more free time at night. Maybe I would even get more sleep!

This photo was taken around noon on Thursday. I was realizing that it was 12:00 because band practice was starting. To ensure that I was not late, I arrived very early. However, I still was not aware of the exact time until Dr. Tobias announced that we should begin. Even while surrounded by the 300 members of the marching band, I felt extrememly isolated and alone. This feeling scares me. Should I be that dependent upon technology? Just because I could not check my cell phone for the time, I felt disconnected from the rest of the world.

After band practice and lunch, I decided to go out to Duck Pond and relax. Since I had no more classes that day, I figured that I did not have to run directly to the bus stop and go back to my appartment, as I would have done any other day. Doing this made me truly think about what is really valuable in life. Maybe I should take more time to appreciate everything around me, and slow down. I know now that I need to take more time to notice the simple things. I found this time that I spent without any media/technology to be very enjoyable, simply because my friends and I were having fun, without any distractions or interuptions from anyone else. Perhaps activities such as this should also become a part of my every day schedule.

Silliness aside, this picture perfectly explains my emotional state at this point in the experience. I had gone approximately 15 hours without any media or technology. Therefore, I was determined to succeed. I was actually enjoying myself, for the most part. Despite my feelings from earlier that day, I was beginning to believe that going without technology every once in a while is not so bad. 

I continued to be amazed by how much homework and studying I was finishing. Who knew that media and technology could be such a distraction? I did not even realize that I could get MOST of my work done before going home for the day! I think this definitely connects to education. As future educators, we need to be sure to pass this knowledge on to our students. By placing all interuptions and disruptions aside, much more can be accomplished.

Later in the day, I decided to study with my friend, Christina. We had two major assignments due the next day. Again, I found that we accomplished much more than we would have if cell phones and the internet had been involved. However, I also realized that because I did not immediately go back to my appartment after class,like I would have any other day, I had the opportunity to study with a friend. This made our work much more enjoyable and effective. Simply talking with another person about any objective usually brings a greater understanding to both individuals. We were able to debate about certain things and ask eachother questions. When we finished, we both felf extrememly accomplished. This would not have happened if I had been able to use technology and media. I would have gone home after my last class and studied by myself. This is another way that my experience connects with education. I have discovered a new way to study that is both faster, and more efficient.

This is my roommate, Megan. She was very supportive all day, until around 7:00 pm. Then she just had to get on Facebook. Since I had finished all my homework on campus, I had absolutely nothing to do. I wanted to check my email so badly! I felt frustration, but also determination. Right after this picture was taken, she wanted to tell me about something she found on facebook, but I refused.

Around 7:30 pm, Megan and I decided to cook dinner and eat at the table. On any other day we would have simply taken our meal to the living room to watch TV. However, since I was not using any form of media, our normal routine did not suffice. I think this activity is something we should do more often, as well. It was nice to talk about our days without having the TV on in the background. For once, our converstations were not interupted with a new episode of "Teen Mom" or "Criminal Minds." (each of our favorite shows) We just talked about school, friends, and family. It was very nice. These are the types of experiences that we should all value. No TV show or Facebook page is a match for true, uninterupted conversation.

I chose to occupy my time by playing with the magnets on our refrigerator. This was probably the low point of my entire experience. I was definitely struggling, especially because I had already finished all my homework. Megan and I bought a pack of magnets consisting of hundreds of words. I spent a long time constructing various sentences (Some made sense, while others did not). This made me think even more about the role that technology plays in my life. I was so bored that I was willing to do almost anything that would entertain me. I realized that I am so dependent on media and technology that when I do not have it, my world turns upside down. I am going to try to change this about myself by using less technology and media daily.

This is a picture of one of the sentences I contructed on my refrigerator (see the picture above). Obviously, I was still having a hard time entertaining myself.

Finally it was 12:00 am on Friday! My 24 hours without technology and media were finally over. (I noted, after taking this picture, that I had never acually looked at this clock to tell time, until that moment.) Although I had learned so much about myself and media's role in the world, I was beyond relieved. However, I have decided that changes could be made in my life to improve certain areas of it. I believe everyone should participate in an experience such as this one at least once. I know that my perspective on media and technology has completely been altered. Media and technology should be a parts of our lives. We should control them, not the other way around.

More Details About the Day

I was never aware of how many times a day I use the many types of technology and media that available in this society. This assignment opened my eyes. At the beginning of this experience I was extremely nervous. However, I knew that I would learn a lot. Therefore I decided to begin my “digital sabbath” at exactly 12:00 am on Thursday, September 23^rd.

My daily routine was altered tremendously by this assignment. I was not able to use my normal alarm clock, because it is also my IPod dock. Also, while getting ready for school, I had to constantly check the clock on the wall in my room to ensure that I would not miss the bus. On any other day, I would have simply looked at my cell phone. When I got to campus, I missed my phone even more. I had to go straight to my classroom instead of going to get coffee, as I would have done on any other day. This is so because I do not own a watch, because my cell phone serves as my primary source of time. Therefore, I sat outside of my classroom in the music building for what seemed like an eternity, until the rest of my classmates arrived. Around 10:45 am (the time my class dismisses) I went to meet my roommate, Megan, on Duck Pond. We had planned to meet there the night before. Normally I would have simply texted her, asking if she wanted to get something to eat before band practice. However, today this was not possible.  When I got to Duck Pond, I decided to work on my math homework. I was so surprised to finish over half of my homework before my next class! I remember thinking to myself that I should do my homework between classes more often. I certainly would get more sleep at night, because the homework that I would normally be working on at midnight would already be complete. After this slight epiphany, it was time to go to band practice, according to Megan. While walking to the football stadium, I remember feeling quite confused. I had no idea what the exact time actually was. I felt disconnected from the rest of the world, simply because I could not use any technology or media. I had to rely on my fellow marching band members to show me what time to begin practice. I knew it was noon when they separated in to their individual sectionals. This is so because Dr. Tobias expects us to begin rehearsal ourselves, at precisely 12:00 pm. After practice and lunch, Megan and I decided to go back to Duck Pond to relax and study a bit. Again, I was completely amazed by the amount of work I was accomplishing on campus. I realized, at this point, that media and technology hold me back, in this sense. I made a note of this and decided to make a change in my daily routine. From now on, I am going to do my homework in my spare time, on campus. When it came time for Megan’s next class to begin, I went to my friend, Christina’s dorm to study for our Geography test the next day and also complete the remainder of my math homework. When 5:00 pm came, I could not believe it. I was actually finished with all of my work before dinner! I knew that I would never again procrastinate doing my homework until I came home. I caught the Purple Route to my apartment, where Megan and I shortly began cooking dinner. We decided to eat together at the table. This has never happened. The previous night, we had eaten in front of our television in the living room. The same routine had happened almost every day prior to this experience. This is one way that my “digital Sabbath” brought me closer to someone. We cleaned up and washed the dishes, while talking to each other about our various classes. Soon after this, I became extremely frustrated. I cannot ever remember being so bored. Dinner was nice. However, once it was over, Megan had to finish her homework. I had no one to talk to, and I had already finished all my assignments! Also, I had done the laundry and vacuuming the day before. There was literally nothing to do in my apartment. This was when I began to struggle. One little peek at Facebook would not hurt, would it? I almost gave up. I really missed my computer, television, and IPod at this point. However, I thought about how far I had come, and how disappointed I would be in myself for cheating. I did not do it. Instead, I decided to play with the magnets on my refrigerator door. Megan and I had bought a pack of magnets consisting of hundred s of words. I amused myself with the various sentences I was constructing. Some of them made sense, while others did not. This was how desperate I was for entertainment. I remember thinking that I was completely lost without media and technology. This thought frustrated me, even more. Finally I decided to take a nap. What else was I supposed to do? I went to sleep around 8:00 pm and woke up at 11:55 pm! My 24 hours without media and technology were just five short minutes away from being over. I rushed to my room, and grabbed my computer. I was so excited about being able to check my email again. As soon as the clock hit twelve, I was going to log on faster than I ever had. However, as soon as midnight came, I had a realization. The 24 hours I had spent without media had taught me something. I did not need to check my email, get on Facebook, or anything else. It could all wait. My 24 hours without media and technology then turned into 32 hours without media and technology. I believe this lesson was what I was supposed to get out of this experience.

Throughout this experience, my emotions went from indifferent to confused in the morning, excited to annoyed in the afternoon, and frustrated to relieved at night. I believe I covered the entire spectrum! It was an interesting experience that I will never forget.

This experience taught me many things about technology and life. It is a huge part of our society. Practically everywhere we turn, we are bombarded with some type of digital media. We all need to learn how to find a good balance between the time we spend using technology, and the time we spend without it. Many positive come from technology. However, much more can be accomplished by simply putting it all away for a while. We all need to slow down every now and then, and remember that just because we are not communicating with 5 different people at one time does not mean that we are disconnected from the world. Technology is a good tool to have. However, our lives should not be centered around it.

Undoubtedly, this assignment connects to education and my life as a teacher. I am going to make it a priority to teach my students how to find a healthy balance when it comes to digital media. They need to learn that these things are not necessary in the process of learning, or in life. However they also need to know how much technology can enhance the classroom tremendously, when utilized responsibly. I did not fully understand these concepts until I completed this assignment. Also, I am not sure that I would have ever truly learned any of these lessons, had it not been for my 24 hours without media.

24 Hours Without Media