There has been a "National Day" for everyone to turn off, disconnect, and re-engage with the real world since 2002. The concept is simply a way to recognize that we have all become too comfortable with the addiction of connection. Whether it is via the computer, cell phone, music, or any other extraneous distraction, we seem to require all of this artificial stimulation. When we have checked the text messages, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and become bored, we go to Youtube and get stuck in the rabbit hole of technology.
Well, I can safely say that I have been essentially unplugged for quite some time. I bailed from Facebook six years ago, carry a cell phone only for emergencies, refuse to text , have a Twitter account that has never seen a tweet, have never used Instagram, and I have limited my TV time. But what is this? Am I being a hypocrite? Here I am typing a blog entry, researching upcoming posts for all of my topics, checking email, and visiting several sites to keep up with the technology that I am supposed to be disconnected from and advocating technological celibacy. But, I can explain!
Unless you want to live under a rock in the dark, it is impossible to totally be "out of the loop" of life in the 21st century. But, I do believe that the national day of unplugging does have merit. It is perhaps a metaphor for feeling connected to other people. Unfortunately, many of those "other people" are virtual. And, maybe, the 24 hours of disconnection will at least help us to recognize that we are too reliant on technology and should focus more on real conversations with real people. There is a link to the "national day" here. But, I have to end now as my land-line phone is ringing...
Well, I can safely say that I have been essentially unplugged for quite some time. I bailed from Facebook six years ago, carry a cell phone only for emergencies, refuse to text , have a Twitter account that has never seen a tweet, have never used Instagram, and I have limited my TV time. But what is this? Am I being a hypocrite? Here I am typing a blog entry, researching upcoming posts for all of my topics, checking email, and visiting several sites to keep up with the technology that I am supposed to be disconnected from and advocating technological celibacy. But, I can explain!
Unless you want to live under a rock in the dark, it is impossible to totally be "out of the loop" of life in the 21st century. But, I do believe that the national day of unplugging does have merit. It is perhaps a metaphor for feeling connected to other people. Unfortunately, many of those "other people" are virtual. And, maybe, the 24 hours of disconnection will at least help us to recognize that we are too reliant on technology and should focus more on real conversations with real people. There is a link to the "national day" here. But, I have to end now as my land-line phone is ringing...
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