Blog #3: 24 Hours Without Internet

            

24 Hours Without Internet 

    On March 4, 2020 I went a full 24 hours without the Internet. As dramatic as it does sound, the 24 hours without access to the digital world was a difficult task to complete. The aspect of social media and the Internet surrounds the world that we live in today. Many face-to-face tasks are now converted into a click of a button, such as meeting a partner or ordering groceries online. This easy access has allowed social media to transform the way we communication amongst each other as well as with particular brands (Scheinbaum, 2018). Within this 24-hour break from the Internet, it surfaced my addiction to technology and social media. Completing this task over spring break was a smart move because I was not constantly surrounded by my peers using their devices. The day before I conducted this small experiment I felt as if I was stuffing myself with as much media as possible. I was on my cell phone majority of the day, bouncing back and forth between my favorite social media apps. I did not realize what I was initially doing until later that night before I started the unplugging process. 

       I woke up at 10:36 am on March 4^th and instantly reached for my phone. Quickly realizing that I was unable to use my phone I sat up in bed realizing that it was going to be a long day. I went about my morning as per usual when I visit home. Although, getting ready without my Apple Music was a very interesting experience. After I finished getting ready, I remember feeling as if I forget something really important in my morning routine. The absent of my music was a weird and uneasy feeling because it is something I do daily. As the day went on, I attempted to complete some homework to get my mind off of what I was potentially “missing” out on. As a couple hours went by, I felt antsy trying to focus on my homework. It is always a habit to reach for my phone when I need a second break, so I found myself staring off into space, not able to focus as I normally do. After attempting homework, I decided I was going to watch some of my old DVD movies such as, High School Musical, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, and Peter Pan. Although I am a big movie lover, my attention span seemed as if it was getting smaller and smaller by the minute as the day progressed. The highlight of my entire day was when my mom came home from work and I felt as if I was able to have an actual conversation with someone other than my dog. Although I am not constantly talking to others on social media daily, without my phone I felt as if I had no contact with the “outside world”. As the day carried on into the night my FOMO started to kick in. Not being able to stay in touch with my friends and family for just a single day was making me feel lonely, in a sense. As Scheinbaum (2018) states in the article, A Framework for the Dark Side of Social Media, that “consumers may be engaging too much with digital platforms…” (pg. 5). I believe that this experiment is a direct representation of that claim and how individuals, like myself, are spending a large amount of time glued to their devices.   

            Ending the day without my phone to entertain myself before falling asleep was nearly impossible. Normally, I end the day with watching YouTube videos to help me fall asleep peacefully. I was unaware of how reliant I want on my device to even help me fall asleep. Without access to my phone it made it difficult to eventually go to bed. In conclusion, the change without my phone for a day was a lot harder than I was expecting. The constant need of wanting to check my phone was a reoccurring act that I attempted. I also noticed I was very antsy throughout the day, checking the time to see how much time had passed. When I finally received my phone after the 24 hours was over, I felt as if I was opening a present on Christmas morning. Looking back on my actions and emotions from the 24 hours, it is clear that the Internet is a huge portion of my life. In a sense, I rely on my phone and the Internet for numerous skills. Something as small as checking the weather outside, I had to innovate and check the weather for myself. I also believe that the Internet and phone usage has allowed individuals to become lazy and rely on other factors to complete a simple task. Without even realizing it I used the Internet and social every day- all day. My overall thoughts on this process was it was a good experiment to conduct. My constant habit to be on my phone hides the fact of how much time I waste looking as a screen. This experiment has opened my eyes to try and cut back on the about of time I spend looking at a screen. The next challenge is attempting to go a couple of days or possible even a week without Internet! My question then surfaces, how much media is TOO much? This is a question I am still trying to gain clarity from as I cut back on my screen time. 

Overall Pros and Cons of the day: 

          Pros                               Cons 

Relaxing (at times)  Give my dog my undivided attention

Increased FOMO  Constantly thinking about my phone  Anxiety that I was missing something I shouldn't be

References:

Scheinbaum, A. C. (2018). The dark side of social media. New York, NY: Routledge.