Event 3 - 24 Hr unplug challenge

     I decided to engage in the 24hr unplug challenge yesterday to experience and reflect on how much I rely on technology. I started a few hour after I got the email from Professor and immediately went to print out my notes that I would be reviewing with. Before starting the challenge I initially thought it would be a simple task since sometimes I shut down my phone to focus on work or studying when I feel like I am distracted or not focusing enough. These might be one day long or weekend long shut offs. 

    The first few hours were not painful for me at all, because I quickly occupied myself with socializing with my friends and eating. I didn't really think about social media, what was happening on my phone for a while. But after reviewing for a bit and accomplishing all the items that I had lined for me to be done that day, I realized it become more challenging than imagined. Technology and especially our phones or tablets allowed us to avoid boredom. It gave an opportunity to enjoy a short burst of rest from these short scrolls or videos. But without these in my life, I couldn't enjoy short bursts of excitement and had to deal with filling my time with other activities for resting and taking a break. 

    I tried to fill my other time with cooking, going grocery shopping, taking a nap and then reading before I went to sleep. With myself being fully occupied, it prevented me from missing technology and thinking about it that much. I also felt a better grasp of my time and how I structured my day. It made me feel very productive at the end of the day. This opportunity also allowed me to enjoy the smaller beauties in life for instance the weather, the sky, and the environment of Westwood. These smaller things in life go unnoticed because our attention is always on the bigger picture and what is happening on our phones. I think after this exercise, I would want to occasionally practice leaving technology out of my life once in a while to take a break from this ongoing attention towards what is happening virtually. 

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