A day in my life without technology…

A Day in my Life Without Media

Last Saturday I did not use media. My husband, two friends, and I went to the Ichtucknee River in Florida to go lazy river tubing. We trekked to our starting point and then floated down the river for about an hour and half. None of us had our phones on us. I hadn’t used my phone since 6:50 a.m. when I last texted my friend that we were downstairs to pick them up. It was wonderful focusing on the conversations in the car for the 2 and half hour drive. We got to really talk and learned more about each other than we ever knew. We got to enjoy the view, joke around, and just take in life, the way we used to before technology became an integral part of our lives.

I remember the days of no cell phones, emails, tablets, and other handheld devices. We had to talk to each other on the phone, write letters, and be in contact on purpose with each other.  We are so caught up in tweeting, posting pictures online, snapchatting, and constantly updating statuses that we miss out on what is happening right in front of our eyes. Being in the here and now is what we need in order to really appreciate and focus on what is happing around us (Murphy, 2011).

Even though I wasn’t using technology my husband was using Google maps on his cell phone to determine our route to get to the Ichtucknee River. I can’t remember the last time we pulled out a map to figure out the best route and not let our phone’s GPS determine the quickest route with the least amount of traffic and toll roads. We pulled off exits that had restaurants listed for breakfast. However, one of the occupants of my vehicle decided he wanted to use Yelp to determine where to eat. Media has become so invasive in our lives with mobile technology that it takes a concerted effort to stay away from it. I feel that unless you are making a conscious effort not to use technology it can be difficult. This Saturday we were fortunate enough to separate ourselves from media for long enough to let us enjoy nature and the company of our friends.

Reference

Murphy, S. (2011).  Digital detox vacations: Check your iPhone at the hotel door. Retreieved from  http://www.technewsdaily.com/2489-digital-detox-vacations-check-your-iphone-at-the-hotel-door.html.

 

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Sabeen

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