Unplugging
1st Jul 2009
Dylan wrote a really interesting post about unplugging from the digital world, and I wanted to write one of my own. I’m very rarely completely unplugged. I long to be more unplugged than I am, and I often wish I had been born a century or so earlier because I think there is a lot of stress that comes with both being plugged in and unplugging. When I am at home, I am almost always on my laptop. If I’m watching tv, my laptop is nearby and I am on it when the commercials come on. I find it hard to pull myself away, even when I’m bored and can think of non-digital things to do that I would enjoy, because I get anxious about being away from possible contact for a long time. Sometimes I stay up later than I intend because I’m on the computer and can’t pull myself away.
Also, I almost always have my cell phone with me, although I’m better about turning that off. I keep it off during classes or important meetings, and I don’t use it while driving. But I almost always have it with me. That’s been exacerbated by job hunting recently — I don’t want to miss any potential phone calls, so even when I went for a walk yesterday, I brought my phone. And I checked my email as soon as I got back.
I do unplug when I am fully absorbed in something else… I went on a tour of Mt. Hope cemetary recently, and I was totally unplugged then, although my cell phone was in my purse. I will be going to the Adirondacks soon, and when I am out on the boat I don’t even bring my phone (barely any reception up there anyway), and while we recently got wireless in our cabin, I don’t use the Internet as much. It’s nice to be able to take a break, but I do worry if I go too long without checking my email, because I get so many and some might be important.
I think that as a society we need to take a collective break and be more willing to unplug (I say as I am sitting here and have been on my laptop almost all day, with a break to clean up my apartment a little). However, I don’t see it happening. I wish that I could, but I also think that there are certain properties of digital technology that lend themselves to being addictive. I read somewhere that tv can put you in a trance-like state where your brain waves are similar to light sleep. I’m not sure about the Internet, but the human need for connection is so basic that I think we are often substituting digital connections for real-life ones. My goal for the day is actually to spend at least a little time reading a book… I want to go to the pool in my apartment complex as well, but it might be raining by late afternoon when I have time.
I’m interested to hear thoughts of others about unplugging - anyone up for it? :)