Day 1. I am having a really hard time, more than I thought I actually would. When I was presented with this experiment I thought I could handle it, but I now realize almost everything I do has to do with technology. At school today I reached for my phone so many times and then realized it wasn't there. When we had to go on our computers I had to do my work using books. I am now sitting down writing this bored out of my mind wishing that I could just go on Twitter or Instagram or watch a YouTube video, I even miss watching T.V. and I barely watch it.
Day 2. It might sound dramatic, but I am suffering. I just want to text my friends for help with my homework, because I have no idea how to do it. I can't do anything I usually do, so I started drawing again. When I was younger I used to draw all the time, but I stopped a couple of years ago and now that I started again today, I realize how much I missed doing it. I'm going to bed now and I hope my friend can help me with my homework before class starts.
Day 3. I did get help with my homework, which was great, but I was stressing. It is currently 5:00 pm and I am thinking about how weird today was, because I'm not using any technology it's like I've been thrown off of the grid. So many things are happening online weather it be politics or celebrity drama and I know nothing about it. It's so weird that my parents didn't have the amount of technology I have access to and they were forced to live the way I am living for a week for their entire youth. I finished my drawing from yesterday and it isn't great, but I'm happy and I did it. I still miss my phone and Instagram though, but in a way I'm starting to get used to it.
Day 4. I woke up feeling lighter if that makes sense. Usually, when I wake up I feel the need to check all of my social media and get caught up on it and I am beginging to see I waste so much time with social media. Now that I don't have to read my timelines I have more time to make a real breakfast, and not just grab a package of Pop Tarts. I noticed that even in school I don't feel the need to go on my phone to look things up anymore and I ask more questions, I even read more. The main thing that bothers me is how I feel so disconnected from my friends. I can't text them or call them and when we hang out there are times they're on their phones and I feel weird. On a good note, I drew more today and I'm getting the hang of it again
Day 5. After 4 days without technology I have so much more time for other things, I study better, my love for drawing came back, and although I still feel disconnected from the world, in a way I have become more aware of my surroundings. Before this experiment I used my phone pretty much all day from the minute I woke up till the moment I went to sleep and it made time go by so fast. Now time seems to go by slower, which is both good and bad. My mom even said that I seem more alert and awake now.
Day 6. Technically only one more day to go and I am done with this, but why do I feel nervous? I can't lie and say I'm not excited for this experiment to be OVER, because I do miss my social media and YouTube, but I'm scared that I won't feel as alert or as awake as I do now anymore. I'm worried that I'm going to stop drawing again. So I want to make a list of the bad and the good. The bad was that I barely can talk to my friends, I have no homework help, I get really bored a lot, and I can't go on the computer during class when we need to, which resulted in the teacher having to help me all of the time. The good is that time doesn't go as fast, I study better, I get ready earlier, I draw more, and I feel more alert and awake.
Day 7. I'm writing this at night and by tomorrow I'll finally get to go on my phone again. I was talking to myself earlier, which is a result of being bored, and I made a promise to myself. I promised I will make sure that at least for a couple of hours during the day I will detach myself from my phone and do anything else like draw. I don't want to go back to the technology-crazed me, but it is also a part of my life and I can't change that. The first three days for me were hard since it was such a drastic change. After that, I got used to it and I don't feel as bad as I did when I first started this experiment. What I learned is that too much of anything is bad and even though I love technology I am starting to like being away from it too. So to end this I'd like to say that maybe everyone should try this, yeah it is hard and you won't really stop missing technology, but you'll learn more about yourself and what it feels like not to be obsessed with it.