Technology Independence Journal

By Ted Regis

Monday Jan. 22, 2007
10:00 p.m.
So this marks the official start of my 24-hour “technology fast.” I ended my dependence on television with an episode of “Heroes,” which just ended. Starting this right before bed was a good idea. I’ll knock out eight hours or so of this technology independence in what feels like an instant. I’ll get a real feel for how this will go during the day tomorrow.

Tuesday Jan. 23, 2007
12:34 p.m.
I deliberately left my cell phone in my room before I headed for class this morning. I decided not to tempt myself by carrying it. I don’t anticipate having trouble staying away from my phone for 24 hours because I’ve gone two full semesters without owning one. I withheld from watching the television news while I got ready for school this morning. I don’t own an iPod, so there won’t be an issue there.

I just got through doing homework and studying for Literary Criticism and my Milton class. Instead of typing vocabulary words for Literary Criticism like I usually do, I sat at an empty desk with index cards and my Literature Handbook. I felt like I was preparing for a middle school social studies test.

I am definitely highly dependent on typing as opposed to writing because it saves me so much time. At 14 hours into this “fast,” I can say that it hasn’t been bad at all. The real test will come when I get home. I’ll have to find more original things to do than watch MTV or text message my friends. Whatever I come up with, I hope it’s entertaining.

Tuesday Jan. 23, 2007
10:38 p.m.
Unfortunately, it was a chilly day. I decided not to find things to do outdoors as I planned. When I came home from campus, I had a cranberry walnut muffin and a glass of milk. I usually watch something while I eat, so I found myself bored from simply eating in peace. After I ate, I slept for an hour, and then picked my little brother up from school. When we got back home, we spent a solid amount of time on his homework. There was also an art project I did with him — I helped him decorate a Pringles can with dinosaur and astronaut stickers.

My brother didn’t start watching cartoons until 5 p.m. To get away from that distraction, I played some of my favorite songs on my piano. I also spent time doing medical research for a friend.

I attended a two-hour religious meeting tonight, which is always a nice way to get away from television, my cell phone and the Internet. I did help out with the sound department by handling wireless microphones. I technically didn’t use them because I handed them to people who wanted to participate in a discussion.

Now that my technology independence period is over, I’ve already watched television, replied to text messages and spoken on the phone simultaneously. This is experience was mostly liberating. In a sense, I dropped off the face of the Internet world and became more involved in the physical one.