On the digital detox & week 9 of 52

what might an hour or two provide; imagine a full day . . .

“The more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug.” —Pico Iyer

My students inspire me. They keep me up-to-date. Usually, I rely on them to tell me about new technologies or what’s going on in the world since I live (happily) in a bubble of words, theories, and reflections.

One of our recent grads and one of the kindest and most talented young men I’ve ever met told me about this app (shout-out, Yundi, if you read this blog). It’s a simple thing. You set it when you want to reduce your screen time. When you set the timer, it begins to countdown and a digital tree grows. If you log onto social media or your email before the tree is fully grown, you lose. The tree dies.

If you win, you’ve spent some time offline, and after so many successful attempts, the company plants a tree to celebrate your win. The idea is to restore humans to a place of connection and maybe more appreciation for nature. My student said that staying offline helped with focus and clarity when he needed to study.

But what about focus and clarity of mind anyway?

To embark on a “digital detox” is no easy feat. I’m not sure it’s entirely possible for most of us. The online world has become our means of income, connection, and source of information (if we are willing to cross-reference).

I remember when tech-as-lifestyle was emergent. I remember thinking tech was listening to my Walkman, then CD player, then iPod as I made my way to the bus stop. Earlier than that, I thought it was playing “Oh No! More Lemings” for a half-hour and thinking that was a long time to be on the computer.

I remember MySpace and AOL.

I am a little too young to remember the video below, but I often show this to my class at OSU when discussing unwavering vision (for better or worse). (start at 4:26)

Now look at us. How much time do we spend on electronic devices every day? What is it doing for our sense of self, connection, or appreciation for our short time on this planet?

These are the questions driving me this week.

I have to go to work, coach people online, and write on my computer because my longhand is horrible, so I am unable to take a total digital detox, but I am feeling the urge to unplug more than usual, and after the news this week, I know that I’m not alone.

Because it’s a relatively quiet weekend ahead and the big plans are to spend time with my husband and pups walking in the park, I plan to take at least one day completely offline. Or as offline as possible. I will set my timer for 4 hours and see if I can make it. If I can, I’ll do another 4.

I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I can do it. I’ll report back.

I invite you to do the same. Or, feel free to start much smaller . . .

Writing prompt(s):

Write (or create) for anywhere from one to four hours that you would otherwise be online. If you want a more specific prompt, imagine the entire world unplugs for a day. What happens?

AYTL prompt:

Same. Or do something else you love. Something that feeds you in an analog way. This is Week 9 of our AYTL experiment, so why not indulge in those things that make you get out of your head and into the body? Into nature. Into the world.

I’ll see you on the other side (sometime this weekend) with a very odd and funny story about two endearing characters who work in animal control.

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