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 23rd.
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.
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