For this week’s post we were asked to document one day without using the internet. This is something that my dad, who isn’t a huge technology fan, has challenged me to do numerous times, wondering if I’d be capable of going a whole day without my phone. I always insisted that I would be fine, however after thinking about how often I use and depend on my phone and the internet, I wasn’t so sure. The majority of my college work is online, and my part time job involves a lot of computer work. Trying to find a day where I could actually be internet free was difficult.
Eventually, I decided that yesterday, the 7th of December, would be my “internet free day”. I woke up after my alarm, dismissed my notifications and turned my WiFi and mobile data off. Determined to prove my dad wrong, I felt quite motivated and started off my day with a walk with my dog.
Following that, I came home and had lunch with my parents. I decided to clean my room, and during the process came across an old book that I hadn’t finished. I continued to read this until about 4pm when I suddenly felt very bored. Without the internet, I couldn’t contact my friends, scroll through my social medias, or access any college work. I spent the rest of the evening drawing, organizing my journal and watching TV with my family, before heading to bed at around half ten.
Although it was difficult, I managed a whole day without using the internet. While I did feel bored and struggled to keep myself occupied, it did make me realise how much I depend on the Internet and just how much I do use it on a daily basis.
Lana's Digital Self 