First hearing that I had to go 48 hours Internet free, I thought it would be easy. Little did I know I was in for a different experience. While the professor was explaining the project, all that was going through my head was, how am I going to pull this off knowing I need technology to perform some of my daily task! Going about this project was going to be problematic. The reason I say this is because I need to be able to socialize with people over the Internet, through text, instant-messaging, e-mail, etc. Not being able to do so will drop my work ethnicity, my social life, advertises over social media sites, etc.
I work or help with a lot of people that our work goes over the Internet to help our cause. My work study job is Dognet. In Dognet, I work around technology, as an Administrator of Dognet I need the Internet to get access on my task for the day. A task for me where I do have to access the Internet for would be lab runs; test each computer and printer for functionality. Socializing is a big characteristic about me. I am a very sociable person and am comfortable with talking with new people. For people I am close or have a relationship with all are able to reach me at any time.
I for one never thought I would be a person of interest ever. But when I am needed I am mostly reached through text or calls. When I don’t respond to either people at times think I am doing work for someone, caught up in my own work, or I might be ignoring them. Never has someone thought the worst but while I am doing so much work and I don’t respond for two days may bring some worries or bad intentions that they may take it the wrong way until I explain for my missing in action. I am not all that excited for this project, but living without internet for 48 hours will allow me to sleep properly.
The Internet, social media, texting and surfing the web are things I do before I close my eyes. Whenever I go to bed I have my phone laying right next to me as if it was my wife. My mind will not be able to rest well if I don’t watch some videos are surf the web one last time. During the time I was away from the Internet, I had a lot of thinking time and availability to do anything I needed to get done. I was able to do a little sporting and be athletic, calm my mind down from having to be piled up with work to an organized time of getting it done.
In other stories and articles that I read, the authors talked about how their lives became different, more better. One author had more time to “read, write, think, for friends, exercise and walk (Millburn). My 48 hour experiment began on Thursday October 2nd. I woke to go to my 8 o’clock class. Sitting there with no laptop was new. Usually in my class I have my laptop in front of me and I will be following the professor with the notes also available on my laptop. Then I would get bored and want to text or look at something during the class but I left my phone in my room so I was stuck bored and lost in the class.
I eventually took a power nap from being tired and having to wake up early. Next I would go to work. I would get on my workstation and get on the site for my tasks. Instead now I was tagging along with anyone I can so I can join their task and not have to go online for one. It was a new way of getting to know your co-workers work habits. I had at one point used a free computer to look at my task. But I was able to keep it strictly for business. I then turn in early so I wouldn’t be able to ruin my streak of not “cheating. I went on with the rest of my day doing sports and getting a lot of sleep. The next following day was interesting. I woke up with my alarm and was about to check social media for any news. I then caught myself as I wondered why I was logged out of all social medias. I purposely did so just in case at some point I would forget my experiment and try to use it other than important reasons. On my phone all my social media are logged and I don’t have to enter any info to surf it. I had future proofed a mistake that would lead to longer typing.
And I was able to not use the internet the whole day because my Fridays are compiled of activities that keep myself busy and not need the internet. This experience was nothing new to me. I have been without Internet before and was able to survive without turning into a psychopath. The Internet is just another tool for me to do many things I can just do if I were to be able to be face-to-face with the person. A medium in communication that has either cursed or blessed us human beings. I enjoyed partaking in this experiment but will not want to try this ever again!
