17 Reasons to Avoid Technology (for a few days)
January 4, 2009 · Print This Article
Can you live without the internet? Can you stay away from your daily intake of RSS feeds, email and Twitter? Are you addicted to your social networks? There are many reasons why I think it’s good to shut down your computer for a few days and live like people lived before the time we all had a broadband connection, or even before there was TV.
Holidays are a perfect time for this ‘experiment’. We have a few days off, how are we going to spend them? We’re so used to being entertained all the time. We can listen to the radio, watch TV, surf the internet, play a computer game, rent a DVD, and our vacation will be over before we know. We could also spend those days to find out what’s really important in our lives. Let’s leave that laptop alone for a few days and:
- Read a book
Immerse yourself in a story. Find a quiet place, forget about the time and enjoy the crisp paper between your fingers. - Go for a walk
Get out of that warm house, breath in and feel the cold air in your lungs. Stretch your legs and make a good long walk. Also great in the evening, before sleep. - Just sit and listen
While walking, take a break, sit down and just listen to the world around you. Did you ever notice all those sounds, and how beautiful they are? - Bake bread
Baking a bread takes time. We’re not aware of this when we buy it in the store. Taking the time to bake one makes us aware of those little things in life we take for granted. - Chop wood
Chopping wood with a heavy axe will warm you up, and it’s great to release some energy in a productive way! - Make a fire
What if there’s no central heating? You’ll have to make a fire when it gets cold. If you just chopped some wood, let’s make a fire, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. - Talk to people
I don’t mean twitter or IM or Skype with your online buddies, take the time to really talk to a good friend, and don’t avoid difficult subjects, say what’s on your mind. - Make music
If you can play an instrument, grab it and play. Taking the time to jam together can be so much fun and so relaxing! - Listen to live music
If you can’t play yourself, listen to music being played live. It brings such a different energy then when you’re consuming half a song like a snack between two stops in the car. - Make plans
Think about the things you’ve been doing. Is this what you really want to do? Are you happy with your work, your projects, education? Make new plans, and write them down. - Enjoy nature
Many of us are living in cities. That’s where everything happens, there’s no need to get out, right? Do you still know what a forest smells like? The sound of the waves on the beach? - Take a bath
A quick shower is all we allow ourselves most of the time. Now is the time to grab your favorite book, fill up the bathtub and add some lavender oil for true relaxation. - Prepare great food
Now your email is not drawing your attention every five minutes and you don’t have any TV shows you’ll miss, put a little bit of extra thought into your meals and take the time to prepare some really great food. - Write a letter
When was the last time you wrote a letter? I mean a real letter written with a pen on a piece of paper? Is there a person you would like to write to? Would there be a difference between writing this letter and writing an email? - Play a game
We don’t need computers to play great games. Whether it be a card game or a board game, choose your favorite and share the fun together. - Go to bed
My computer can keep me awake way too long. There’s always something more I can do, I can find out or I can read. Sleeping is healthy though, so go to bed early, and wake up fresh and energetic. - Read another book
And when you go to bed, it’s great to read a book, until you drift off to sleep. I prefer reading two books at the same time. One that requires my full attention (non fiction mostly) and one that’s easy to read and works well before sleep.
Avoid Technology to Reclaim Your Focus
Next to the relaxation a few of those days bring, I experienced that I’m paying much more attention to the things I do. There’s a much better focus. Nothing is drawing my attention away from what I do, and I don’t feel the pressure to check my email and don’t have the feeling I’m missing out on something important.
And you know what? After a few days I start up my laptop, I come back online and find out that I really didn’t miss out on anything. Only a few emails that really need to be answered and if there are too many unread news articles in my RSS reader, I just click the ‘mark all as read’ button.
Could you take a few days off and avoid technology and the internet for a while? Is there anything you’d like to add to my list? Please leave a comment!
These are’nt “Reasons”, so much as ‘Ways’…
Not a bad list of Ways to Avoid Technology though.
You’re right, Lyly. I used the word “Reasons” because I think these things are important, and to (allow yourself to) do them you have to take the time, and then it helps to step back from technology for a few days.
Next to that it’s not really the things themselves that are the reason, but the effects of doing the things I mentioned (relaxation, better sleep, better focus) are the reason why you should do them.
Thanks for you comment.
[...] sursa [...]
Nice list! I’m feeling overload too at the moment so I’m on a Semi-Media fast at the moment.
It usually takes me a few days to get away from the thought that I’m missing a lot of things when I have no access to email/internet. After that, it’s all good ^_^
Thanks, Chris! This article is about really letting go of everything, but in daily life I also try to reduce my information intake, by not reading newspapers or watching television. It helps.
@Ronnie: Exactly! First you’re trying to find a wifi hotspot everywhere you go, and after a while you just accept the fact and find out you’re not missing it at all that much
Nice Article Hugo. Apt for people who are too consumed by the e-media and virtual world.Though I am hooked on to my laptop, I know when I require it and when I do not. I connect to most of what you said as I personally do the same.
A wonderful article I have come across, all thanks to StumbleUpon
I guess for the past few days, I too have been realising the same, feels like you have read my mind and put up this article Hugo
But seriously speaking, most of the people are in such a hurry these days, they need to take a break to do such things often, like read a book, enjoy nature, go for a walk etc… Lovely article once again
Most of these activities are stupid and easily replaced with other stupid idea.
Yep, came across it on StumbleUpon, like Prathima.
These ideas all do sound great and relaxing, but at the moment I’m still having a lot on my plate. But, oh boy, after the semester’s over I’m definitely going to have a nice long break from the Internet (and computer, for that matter).
And Hunter, I don’t really think these activities are stupid. Would you mind elaborating?
My sister and I actually did something simiiar to what you’ve suggested.
About three weeks before the presidential elections, we took off for 3 nights and four days to Montauk, NY. It’s a little town at the very tip of the South Fork of Long Island; If you drive past Montauk, the next stop is Portugal.
Anyway, we didn’t bring our laptops, we didn’t buy any newspapers, we unplugged the TV the minute we got there so we could plug in our phone chargers. (In case of emergency at home.) and we had the most glorious time.
We drank wine on the balcony of our ocean-front hotel, went wading in the bay looking for pretty rocks and shells, chatted with several dog walkers and fisherman and generally just chilled the hell out. It was a pure tonic for the soul. DO IT!
[...] collection of reasons to ‘tune out’ on his blog Streamlined Mind. The entry is titled 17 Reasons to Avoid Technology (for a few days). I hope you enjoy [...]
@Pradheep: Thank you!
@Prathima: Thanks for your kind words. I guess I was reading your mind
@Herbert: Yes, make sure you give yourself the time off. It’s so easy to get lost on the internet. Thanks for commenting.
@Maggie: That sounds like a wonderful trip! It’s very good you also unplugged the TV, as I think many people watch it in their free time, and then you certainly can’t enjoy it fully.
This thought goes through my mind whenever I’m next to someone on a plane, who can’t wait to tell someone they’ve arrived even though they’re not supposed to be using their phone, or sitting on a beach and taking or making calls. Makes me long for the days when the postcard got back after you did.
We had to stop using the internet for about 2 weeks recently, as we were near our monthly limit and had already incurred one 90 euro surcharge when we went over it (this is Greece, where internet access is poor and prices are high). We went for walks and read books. Result - more fresh air, more exercise, less pressure to check what was happening.
The only downside was the stack of emails when we went back online. We’re still doing the daily walks though, so a good habit came out of a bad one!
Breathe in… and breathe out. And don’t forget not to think.