Image by Lyn Millett via Flickr
Technology Thursday
Adbusters offered a Digital Detox challenge last week - unplug from the Internet and social networking for a week. They offered links to a few articles on the downsides of spending too much time in front of computer screens. Some of the negatives include:
- Internet addiction and withdrawal issues,
- overexposure to advertising and a consumption culture,
- sleep disturbance,
- problems with focus and attention,
- and on and on.
Being unable (or unwilling) to be disconnected for very long is something I struggle with quite a bit. My husband and I are both serious techies -- both for work and for fun. We have desktops, laptops, and handheld computers and live huge portions of our lives online. But I completely agree with the idea that getting offline and away from the technology for extended chunks of time is an important thing to do, especially as our son gets older and ever more interactive.
Over the years, I've suggested to my husband that sometime when we do a weekend away that we leave the laptops behind. We've never managed to do this, but it's a goal - at least for me! One problem with that plan is that my cell phone is a blackberry - I'd have to rejigger the interface or something so that I wouldn't see work mail and personal email showing up. I've also thought about perhaps instituting no-Internet Saturdays (or no-Internet Saturday afternoons!) to make sure that we consciously and regularly take time away from the relentless info-pellets that the Internet provides.
I'm with TechMamas, though, on the AdBuster's challenge. Unplugging for a whole week? That would take quite an effort. We are such techie geeks that we brought our laptops on our honeymoon. Good thing, too, as I was sick the whole trip. Anyway, I have no doubt, that I would feel great afterwards a nice long digital detox. (It seems a bit like exercise in that sense!) But deciding which week and getting spousal buy-in (it would aggravate me no end if he were keeping up with the world on the IntarWebz and I wasn't) will be tough. Not to mention coordinating with work such that I could really say that I won't be looking at work email for a chunk of time. Obviously this would have to be on a vacation of some sort. Unfortunately, I have one of those jobs that makes truly taking an actual vacation away from all of it incredibly difficult.
Anyway, it's a goal, perhaps. In the meantime, I think carving out unplugged and disconnected family time - especially on the weekends and especially as my son gets older - is a first step.
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