When I first looked over the assignment for week 1 I did not think I would have a difficult time abstaining from all internet use for a 24 hour period. I first glanced over the assignment about a week ago and knew this would be an easy task. I thought about how the internet has been incorporated into my life and did not think I would have any trouble doing this. Not being able to check my email, go onto blackboard, follow up on the recent NBA draft first round picks, or check TMZ.com for the period of one day would not be the end of the world. I thought about some friends of mine who spend the majority of their time playing an online game called World of Warcraft and knew if they were in a similar situation it would be much more difficult. However, i found myself putting off this assignment until the very last day despite my early inclination of thinking this would be an easy task.
I tried to complete this task a handful of times before successfully abstaining from the internet between Monday and Tuesday morning. I would go about half way through the day and either forget that I could not check my email or give up altogether. When I realized this would be a much more difficult task than I originally anticipated I came to understand how much I rely on the internet. This was surprising to me as I have long proclaimed myself as a person who is "technologically disadvantaged." My knowledge of computers is minimal compared to many and most of my friends or acquaintances. I usually find out about new technology matters long after they have been incorporated into our everyday lives.
When I looked at this issue I realized how important the internet is in my everyday life. I have no daily schedule that revolves around internet usage but I found that not checking my email, not being able to log on to blackboard, not being able to check my bank balance, or check stats from the previous night's games was a struggle. This reminded me of how easy it can be to start relying on various forms of communication without realizing how dependent we can become on these same devices. I posted earlier on the discussion board how important the cell phone has become in our, or at least my everyday life. I did not have a cell phone for a long time and did absolutely fine. Now that I have one, and use it everyday, I can see how dependent I am on it. If I go out without it, or if the battery dies when I am out in public I begin to feel limited and disadvantaged. I felt very similar when abstaining from the internet for a 24 hour period. It was not until I did not have access to it until I was able to realize my dependency on it and the role it plays in my everyday life.
I recently purhased an iphone which probably does not seem like the most rational investment for someone who considers themself to be technologically inadequate. However, I have embraced its features and use them all the time. I use many of the applications and check email frequently. On Thursday I found out that both Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett had died by using my iphone. On television I overheard that similarly, many people found out the news of their deaths by using Twitter. The irony is that this is something many people would not be saying or would likely not been possible just 3 months ago. It shows us how fast technology is changing and being incorporated into our everyday lives.
When abstaining from the internet I found myself bored at times. I watched more television, spent more time talking to friends and family on the phone, and sent more text messages than I normally do. I spent time working on assignments for class but could not submit them or email them to my instructors. I felt that I had to plan ahead for a day without any internet usage. I had to respond to emails, check class assignments early, and make sure I had enough to do without being able to access the internet in any way, via phone or computer.
I think the most important thing this taught me was how much I rely on the internet although I did not consider myself to be a web junkie. It seems hard to imagine a time when we did not have internet access and relied soley on different means of communication and everyday research. Although this is possible, it does not seem very feasible.
