This past week, I was given the assignment of being electronic-free for 24 hours. I was not allowed to use any electricity or battery powered communications or entertainment devices. I took this one step further and cut out as many electrical or battery-powered devices that I could that weren't only for communications or entertainment. I choose to complete this arduous task on Wednesday. I began at 9:36 a.m. on Wednesday morning, which is when I got up and I completed my 24 hours on Thursday morning at 9:36 a.m. I made an exception in the battery-powered devices category because of my job. I needed to be able to check my cellphone once in the afternoon before I left for work because of the way my job is set up. The rest of the time, I had my cellphone completely turned off. I didn't really have an issue with not using my cellphone because it's not a smartphone and the only calls I make are for work or to my boyfriend and family. I will say that it was very inconvenient when I couldn't simply call or text my boyfriend about something.
The worst part of no electronics for me was that I had no idea what time it was. I normally keep try of time with my car clock and my cellphone, but I wasn't using either one. When I needed to know the time, I would ask someone. These questions lead to great conversations. When I ate lunch in the cafeteria, I asked a girl about the time and explained that I was not using electronics for 24 hours. She and the rest of the people at her table agreed that they didn't think they couldn't go longer than an hour or two without their cellphones. While I was in the cafeteria, I noticed that there were quite a few televisions on the walls. I hadn't noticed them before, but finding a place to eat where I couldn't see them was pretty difficult.
When I got home in the evening, I found that I didn't really have anything that I could do. All of my homework needed to be completed online and I couldn't watch a movie or the television. We usually watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report as a family, but I couldn't, so everyone was a little frustrated with me. Fortunately, I was able to convince everyone to play Monopoly after dinner. When we finally made it upstairs to bed, I found a book that had been sitting on my shelf for months since I hadn't had the time to read it. I got a good start on the book and feel asleep. In the morning, I was woken up by my father, as I do not own an alarm clock and normally would use my cellphone.
Over the course of my 24 hours without electronics, I realized that I don't really do anything for entertainment that doesn't involve electronics. Normally, I would watch a movie, television, surf the web, etc. I found that it was really nice to not use technology all of the time, but that it's really in everything we do. I also noticed that time seemed to move more slowly. This was probably because I wasn't zoned in on a screen at any point.
I spent a lot of time during my e-media fast thinking about my future students and just how wired they are going to be to electronics. I kept thinking of an article I read previously that suggested students should bring their own media to school because they will be more familiar with it. After doing this exercise, I think that it's impossible to think that one can get away with not using technology in the classroom. I think that if we don't, we will immediately lose our students as they will be thinking about when they can next be connected via electronics.
The worst part of no electronics for me was that I had no idea what time it was. I normally keep try of time with my car clock and my cellphone, but I wasn't using either one. When I needed to know the time, I would ask someone. These questions lead to great conversations. When I ate lunch in the cafeteria, I asked a girl about the time and explained that I was not using electronics for 24 hours. She and the rest of the people at her table agreed that they didn't think they couldn't go longer than an hour or two without their cellphones. While I was in the cafeteria, I noticed that there were quite a few televisions on the walls. I hadn't noticed them before, but finding a place to eat where I couldn't see them was pretty difficult.
When I got home in the evening, I found that I didn't really have anything that I could do. All of my homework needed to be completed online and I couldn't watch a movie or the television. We usually watch The Daily Show and The Colbert Report as a family, but I couldn't, so everyone was a little frustrated with me. Fortunately, I was able to convince everyone to play Monopoly after dinner. When we finally made it upstairs to bed, I found a book that had been sitting on my shelf for months since I hadn't had the time to read it. I got a good start on the book and feel asleep. In the morning, I was woken up by my father, as I do not own an alarm clock and normally would use my cellphone.
Over the course of my 24 hours without electronics, I realized that I don't really do anything for entertainment that doesn't involve electronics. Normally, I would watch a movie, television, surf the web, etc. I found that it was really nice to not use technology all of the time, but that it's really in everything we do. I also noticed that time seemed to move more slowly. This was probably because I wasn't zoned in on a screen at any point.
I spent a lot of time during my e-media fast thinking about my future students and just how wired they are going to be to electronics. I kept thinking of an article I read previously that suggested students should bring their own media to school because they will be more familiar with it. After doing this exercise, I think that it's impossible to think that one can get away with not using technology in the classroom. I think that if we don't, we will immediately lose our students as they will be thinking about when they can next be connected via electronics.
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