I chose this option because I was interested to see if my need for technology had increased in the past four months (since the beginning of school). As I suspected, it had. I really enjoyed this assignment because it made me aware of the many ways I am technology dependent. However, I did manage to complete the assignment in just one twenty-four hour period.
First of all, I knew that I would have to prep my husband for this technology fast so that he would not worry when I didn't answer my phone the entire day I was at school. I had to write him a note explaining the project, what bills had to be paid that day, what groceries were needed, what clothes were clean, when to pick Dylan up at day care,etc. That brings me to my next preparatory measure: I also had to warn the day care to call Alex's phone in case of an emergency instead of mine. This is a little depressing for me to admit, but one of the hardest things for me to give up was TV. I knew this was going to be difficult for me, primarily because it is what I use in the morning to keep Dylan occupied while I make breakfast, iron clothes, pack my lunch, and accomplish the rest of the tedious chores that make my day run smoothly. Because I knew the morning of the fast would work a little differently, I organized the house accordingly. I made breakfast the night before and simply heated up some muffins for breakfast. I packed my lunch the night before. I set up a coloring area with a HUGE sheet of paper, some towels on the floor, and about 7 million markers and crayons to keep Dylan occupied while I showered and got dressed for school. I really enjoyed having everything prepared the night before so that I was not so rushed and I actually felt a bit relaxed as I was driving down I10 towards school. I also felt like a better mom for not just sticking my kid in front of a TV for 45 minutes in the morning. I tried something similar to this a couple mornings afterwards, and Dylan and I both enjoyed it! The next problem I knew I would encounter was printing off slides for a class. I prepared for this the day before as well. This, however was a much easier preparation. I simply printed out all materials I could possibly need for all my classes the night before the fast. After school, I wasn't sure if listening to my CD player on the way home from school was considered appropriate, so I decided against it. It was definitely a boring hour ride home and it was very difficult to stay awake until I reached Fairhope. I chose to do the fast on a night that I didn't have to work, since I am constantly using computers for orders and am surrounded by TVs. When I arrived at home, the stereo was on and my husband was devastated to learn that it had to be turned off. Dylan was in the middle of a very interesting dance to The Rolling Stones, so he was a little upset too. We decided to take a walk by the pier, get ice cream at Mr. Gene's Beans, read books, play Legos, and finger paint in place of listening to music or watching TV. It was awesome to see how jam packed we could make our day when mama wasn't doing homework on the computer, and there were no distracting devices in the background. Surprisingly, the hardest decision I had to make came late in the evening. I still sleep with Dylan's monitor by my head because occasionally he will wake up in the middle of the night and I have never not had it near me, so I don't have enough faith in myself to hear him without it. I chose to keep his monitor plugged in, and let that be the only piece of technology that I used during those 24 hours.
I think this activity was probably easier for me than some others because I don't actually use Facebook all that often or my cell phone either. I found the key to completing this assignment in one trial was to PREPARE! I thought out my day and what obstacles I would encounter and I figured out how to accomplish those tasks without technology. While I realized that life can proceed without technology, it would not be an easy way to live. I believe this was a fantastic exercise for me to realize how I can incorporate technology into my life a little more (by using some off time to get into Twitter maybe), and how I can eliminate it in certain ways and introduce more engaging activities instead.
Hey Frances!
ReplyDeleteI really wish that I had chosen to do this assignment! Sadly, it came at a tricky week, so I was unable to do so. It looks like you were able to figure out a way to cope with your lack of technology. You are right though; the key would be to prepare the night before. I think everyone would benefit from some time spent away from technology, as difficult as it would be for some people, like those attached to their phones or Facebook, everyone would benefit from a break.