We dare, no, double dare, no wait – TRIPLE DARE – you to give up technology for a specific time period. The length of abstinence from all things digital depends on which level you choose, which in turn depends on how brave you are.
LEVEL 1: THE EASY PEASY CHALLENGE
What you give up:
Your mobile phone
Duration:
An hour or two
The challenge: When out for a meal with friends, all of you put your phones in the middle of the table and resolve not to check or pick your phones up at any time during the meal. You can take your phones back only when going home.
The penalty: The one that breaks the rule or cheats foots the bill for the meal.
LEVEL 2: THE MODERATELY UNPLUGGED CHALLENG
What you give up: Any mobile phone, any laptop/PC and the Internet
Duration: 24 hours
The challenge: You cannot use your phone, your computer and the Internet for a whole day. You can’t use somebody else’s phone and computer either and can’t peek at the Internet over anybody’s shoulder. If you need to talk to someone, use a landline or PCO. No IMs, no chatting, no Facebook, no WhatsApp. If you get bored, read a book or listen to music. Authorise a friend to keep an
eye on you.
The penalty: If you cave in or cheat, you should hand over your phone and laptop to your authorised friend for an extra 24 hours of this challenge.
LEVEL 3: THE IMPOSSIBLE CHALLENGE
What you give up: All digital devices – mobile phones, tablets, laptops/PCs, TV, cameras, music players – and the Internet
Duration: 1 week The challenge: Experience the lifestyle of a previous century. Use no gadgets at all. You can’t ask a friend to use one on your behalf either. You’re not allowed to look at anybody else’s gadgets either when they are on. Find alternate ways to occupy yourself. Authorise a friend or two to keep an eye on you.
The penalty: For each digression, your friend(s) is/are allowed to post one embarrassing item (picture, wall post, etc) about you on all your social media accounts.
TALES OF THE UNPLUGGED FOLKS
Tech detoxing is not that hard. Just look at these guys who have eschewed technology at different levels:
Sends snail mail
“I post letters because there’s always something personal and intimate in the handmade and the time consumed. Letter writing is an art that email is not. There’s also something thrilling in the waiting process; waiting to receive a letter and waiting for a letter to be received. Post conjures a feeling of anticipation that email never has and it’s almost always worth the wait.”
– Kyra Mathews, 24, Copywriter
Doesn’t have a smartphone
“I don’t like touch screens and qwerty key pads which is why I go old school. I don’t miss smartphones at all, except for WhatsApp. My phone is so old that it doesn’t even support WhatsApp, unfortunately. Also, I find smartphones to be very delicate. My work requires a phone that will not break on the first day at the job.”
– Chique Fernandes, 28, marine biologist
Off the Internet
Paul Miller, staff writer for American tech website The Verge, went on a self imposed exile from the Internet for a year last April. While he still used his laptop to write articles and his phone to make calls, none of his gadgets were connected to the Internet. Towards the end of his exile, he wrote, “Leaving the internet was so great… at first… But then old habits reared their ugly heads… I’ve spent more time than you could imagine in this past year simply laying on my couch. Like, just laying there… Without the internet, my world has shrunk.”
Volume 2 Issue 11
