Last Friday, I did my technology fast. I actually did not find it as difficult as I had expected it to be, but I am certainly glad that it is over. I began the fast on Thursday at 9 PM. I usually check Facebook or watch a TV episode on my computer on Thursday nights, but since I did not have access to my computer, I decided to go to sleep as soon as the fast began. When I woke up the next morning, I immediately reached for my phone on my desk and then sadly remembered that I would not be able to use it until later that night. On Fridays I end class at 9:55 AM, so I essentially had the entire day to sit and dwell on my inability to use technology. The entire day, I felt helpless and dependent upon others. When I would usually text my friends, asking them to get lunch at a specific time, I had to knock on their doors and ask them to get me when they were having lunch. I felt cut off from the world as countless times, one of my friends would yell as they were leaving for class, “I’ll text you!” Several times I reached into my pocket for my phone, with no intention of using it for any particular reason, and found that it was not there. The entire day I counted down the minutes till I would have access to my phone again. I came to realize as the day progressed that part of what I missed about my phone was its ability to satisfy a nervous tick inside me. My phone has become a distraction from uneventful moments, and without it, I simply felt bored.

With full access to my phone and computer again, I have a deeper understanding of their influence on my life. I am fully aware that often times I reach for my phone for no reason at all, but from observing others, I realize that this is not an unusual habit for our generation. I will probably never do another technology fast again, but I will try to break my habit of using media as a means of avoiding boredom; sometimes, I suppose, it’s good to be bored.