Unplugged - Blog #3

Lauren Lemelin

Unplugged: 24 Hours without the Internet. Could you go 24 hours without Internet? Ever since the invention of the “World Wide Web” in 1989, the Internet has played a significant role in people’s lives (Fuchs, 2017). When I saw the prompt “you must endure 24 hours without the Internet” I was filled with anxiety and fear, but excited to see if I could do it. On Wednesday, February 19th, I unplugged and went 24 hours without the Internet (with the exception of tweeting once for class). It was a long and challenging day partially because I had to withdrawal from Web 2.0.

Web 2.0 is a term used to describe the social networking World Wide Web applications like Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (Fuchs, 2017). The technical and ideological foundations of Web 2.0 led to the notion of a participatory culture which allows and encourages the creation and exchange of user generated content (Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010). One of the hardest parts of enduring 24 hours without the Internet was having to remove myself from Web 2.0. One of the most unsettling feelings I experienced during my 24 hours without the Internet was not knowing if my Snapchat streaks would survive my absence. Snapchat streaks are achieved when you send Snapchats back and forth with a friend several days in a row.  Therefore, in order to maintain a Snapchat streak with somebody you have to snap them at least once a day. The night before I unplugged from the Internet, I snapchatted my friends that I have streaks with at 11:50pm to inform them that I was enduring 24 hours without the Internet. I was very worried that I was going to lose my streaks, my streaks mean a lot to me as half of them are over 200 days long. Fortunately, my Snapchat streaks survived my 24 hour break from the Internet.  

My Snapchat streaks.

Another challenge I faced during my 24 hours without Internet was my inability to access CNU Scholar, library databases, and Google Drive. Disconnecting from the Internet as a college student is extremely difficult as most of our resources, assignments, and notes are on the Internet. I regret enduring 24 hours without the Internet during the school week, because it forced me to put off online assignments until the next day. I also forgot to download documents, notes, and assignments from my Google Drive prior to logging off so I had to restart assignments that were due that day. I felt extremely disconnected from CNU Scholar, specifically grade updates and my professor's announcements. For example, I saw my friend in the dining hall and she asked me what I got on the math test, but I was unable to tell her, because I couldn’t access CNU Scholar. This created a lot of anxiety as I couldn’t find out my grade until the next day. One of the most frustrating things I faced while offline was being unable to use the Internet to define fifty vocabulary words for my Biology

How I felt using a dictionary and textbook to define terms.

class. Since the terms were due that day I had to use dust the cobwebs off my Webster’s Dictionary and Biology textbook to define the words. This made me realize how the Internet allows me to work faster and more efficiently. 

So what did I do without the Internet for one whole day??

Leading up to the 24 hours without Internet, I was anticipating it being the most boring day ever. However it actually wasn’t that bad, I was able to find ways to entertain myself, stay busy, and stay connected without the Internet. One of the things I did when I didn’t have Internet for 24 hours was listen to the FM radio. On Wednesday I had to run a few errands and when I got in my car my phone automatically connected to the bluetooth, I disconnected my phone immediately and decided that I would listen to the FM radio. I never listen to the radio in my car so I didn’t have any stations preset on my stereo so after pressing the “seek” button a dozen times I decided to listen

How it felt using the radio in my car.

to 97.3, “The Eagle.” Although I missed streaming Spotify, picking my own songs, and listening to commercial free music,  97.3 “The Eagle” wasn’t that bad. Click here (97.3 The Eagle) to listen to 97.3 “The Eagle” live. The most frustrating part about listening to the FM radio was the number of commercials. I felt like commercials took up almost half of my listening time. I also listen to Spotify while doing my homework, but I couldn’t do that so I used my alarm clock to listen to 97.3 "The Eagle" while doing homework at my desk.

I realized this during my 24 hours without Internet.

I often use the Internet, specifically social networking apps, for entertainment and as a way to pass time. Obviously I was not able to do that when I unplugged from the Internet so I turned to my roommates, classmates, and friends for entertainment. Withdrawing from social media

and the Internet for 24 hours made me spend more time with my roommates and those around me which was very nice. This was actually my favorite part about disconnecting from the Internet. With the invention of cell-phones, Internet, and other forms of technology, face-to-face interaction has become less common so I enjoyed spending quality time with my friends without the distraction of the Internet. My friends, classmates, and roommates also served as an information source for me while I was disconnected. For example, all day I was dying to know the snow forecast for the following day so I went to my roommates room and asked her if she knew any information on it. Not only did she provide me with information about the weather, but my question also led to us sharing our favorite snow-day traditions. This is a great example of how withdrawing from the Internet led to meaningful face-to-face interactions.

Another way I found out information without the Internet was by thinking "outside of the box." Wednesday morning when I got ready I had no idea what the forecast was so I didn't know if I was dressed appropriately. Typically I would pull my phone out and search “weather” on the Internet to look at the temperature(s) and forecast for the day, to determine if I had chosen an appropriate outfit. However, I was unable to do that, so instead I walked outside for a about a minute to determine if I needed to change. Later in the day, I had to change my routine again as a result of enduring 24 hours without the Internet. Usually when I have a question about a class I will email my professor, but since I couldn't do that, I went to my professors office hours instead. This is another example of how disconnecting from the Internet created a meaningful in-person interaction. Although these may seem like minor changes to my daily routine, they changed the pace of my day which I enjoyed. Overall, logging off from the Internet for 24 hours made me interact with others more and problem solve in ways that I hadn't done before.

Unplugged and Unsatisfied or Logged Off and Loved It?

Pros to withdrawing from the Internet	Cons to withdrawing from the Internet
·      More face-to-face interaction ·      Less distractions	·      Feel uninformed/detached ·      Less access to information/resources ·      No streaming services ·      No email or I-Messages

As much as I loved experiencing a day without Internet and interacting with others face to face, unplugging left me unsatisfied and overwhelmed. The Internet has been integrated into my life ever since I was a toddler so having to withdrawal for 24 hours was very challenging and a major inconvenience. I felt most inconvenienced in regard to accessing CNU Scholar, my email, and Google Drive. I was really frustrated and worried when I realized that I couldn’t access all of my assignments and work online. I felt like withdrawing from the Internet put me at a disadvantage as I had less resources to complete my work. However, I don't think logging off the Internet would be as frustrating if it wasn't so integrated into my life or if the people around me weren't able to use the Internet either.
References

Fuchs, C. (2014). Social media: A critical introduction. London: SAGE Publications. doi: 10.4135/9781446270066.

Whiting, A. & Williams, D. (2013). Why people use social media: A uses and gratifications approach. Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, 16(4), 362-369.