Why I’m cutting back on Technology:
I live in a very quiet area, and when I say quiet, I mean that you can hear your heartbeat when you turn off all of your gadgets and gizmos. On Sunday afternoon, I was taking advantage of that and took some time to enjoy the quietness of the afternoon while sitting out on my deck.
Since I spend most of my time on a college campus, The University of Mississippi, I don’t see much peace and quiet during the week. For the first time in awhile my mind was clear of stress, things to do, and it was a very relaxing moment. I let my mind wander to the places it rarely goes during the week since my general thoughts are “What’s next on the to do list?” I thought about dreams I’ve had, what I want to do after college, new DIY projects I want to do in the future, my childhood, and just how much I love the outdoors on a day with beautiful weather.
About twenty minutes into this, my cell phone chirped telling me I had a new text message. Like a bad habit, I pulled out my phone, unlocked it, and read the text message. It was like somebody slapped me from relaxation back to reality. Ninety percent of all of my text messages are all pointless. This one fell in that category as well.
The reason this message felt like a slap is that, my cell phone, like many people’s cell phone, is a portal for the outside world when I’m taking a break or trying to relax because I literally take it everywhere. It reminds me of everything that is currently going on, because everything going on most likely originates though it. It forces my mind back into the mode of things to do, people who are getting on my nerves, and a host of other things.
It was at this moment, after reading that message and being snapped out of my relaxation that I realized that it’s time to cut back on technology. Like so many people today, I am constantly occupied with some electronic activity whether it’s texting, surfing a social network, watching Netflix, or responding to emails. In free time, this is what I spend it doing. My mind never really rests. Rather than actually giving it a break, I fill it with meaning less information from the internet.
Earlier this year, I gave up Twitter and Instagram. The time I gained from leaving those was unreal. I won’t go into how social networks and the electronic world are killing actual social interaction. That’s for another post at another time.
Suffice it to say that technology, as great as it is, is something that we all need to take a vacation from. Taking the time to actually relax and focus on yourself is a great thing. Turning of my phone feels like freedom! When I hang out with people, I actually enjoy their company rather than hanging out, but being engaged in a social network and not actually bonding.
I recommend everyone occasionally take a day where you liberate yourself from the continual world of technological nagging. It’s a great experience.
