The Week Off Tech

The week off...is over

Ok, since I still work with technology (pretty much on a computer all day for my day job) and I was allowing myself 15 minutes a day of email access, I wasn’t completely tech free this week.

But I was dang close for someone in our society not living under a rock or in a small abandoned cabin in the woods.

For those of you who missed it, the last seven days have been without tv, facebook, twitter, internet, or blog (except the aforementioned 15 minutes for personal emails). Today I’m back!

Now first some clarification on why I did this. I realized that I needed more time in my life, and more life in my time ;). I was letting technology work me instead of the other way around (“Oh, maybe just check once more in case something really cool is on tv, facebook, twitter, my email account or a blog”.) I was becoming obsessed! Now maybe if I didn’t lose 40 hours a week to my day job I could be more generous with my brain dead channel/internet surfing. Alas, the fact of the matter is that I’ve got a day job and I need said day job. Thusly, me trying to see how I could modify my time and my diversions, and deciding to step away for a bit.

I survived! LOL- now, yes a longer period of time would have made a bigger impact in my behavior, but the week got me to thinking. And it got my relaxing more. Weird, but the “gotta see if there is something cool/vital/earthshattering” mindset was stressing me out! I actually relaxed in the evenings! I got way more editing done, did way more reading…and found, contrary to my long held belief, I could actually function if I didn’t sit in front of the tv to “decompress” the moment I got home from work!

I know many folks will disagree, but I do think our society is becoming too tech dependent for social and emotional stimulation. I think we’re forgetting real world contacts. I know I’m viewing how I deal with tv and the internet very differently now. Oh, I’ll be back using both- but a lot less and with a different, hopefully more thoughtful, view.

What about you folks? Any of you step away from things for a bit? Did it change the way you view things? (And I don't mean on vacation- I mean day to day step away ;))

OH and for people who saw my blogs while I was away, and my alerts on Twitter and Facebook about said blogs while I was away- it was all automatic. Blogs can be posted waaaaaaaaay in advance, and told the exact minute they should post. Through HootSuite, any updates to my blog are checked once a day and alerts are sent to my social media outlets. Scary huh? Four blog posts, lots of alerts, and I wasn’t here at all. Makes you think ;).