I decided to do my media fast yesterday, Saturday October 5th; largely because I had physical testings for hockey. We were expected to run 7 miles at 12:30pm, and I figured that it would take up most of my day and eliminate the temptation. I went to bed at 10pm Friday night and strategically started the clock. I woke up at 10:30am (cheating a bit since I used the alarm on my phone) and went to breakfast.

After that I showered, stretched and left to go meet my teammates. Almost everyone left their phones/iPods in their rooms and I started to feel good about the fast. Things, however, took an unfortunate (or fortunate) turn after the run began. We had been running for about a minute when a senior leading the way took a turn behind a house where we were greeted with food and beverages. It had all been a joke on the freshman and the real plan was to party throughout the day.

I felt great relief knowing I wouldn’t have to run the rigorous course and then humiliation knowing I had been tricked. After everything settled in I began to feel worried that by having a relaxing day with friends, I would give into the temptation to use my digital media sources.

The party lasted a couple hours and I honestly didn’t miss my phone, computer or T.V. I didn’t even miss my Xbox. At around 2:30pm we all went back to campus, and that’s when the real battle began. I knew I wasn’t going to get any homework done that day, so I decided to take a nap to pass the time. When I woke up my friends were playing video games. I needed to find new friends. That was a joke, but in all seriousness I needed to be around people that weren’t hooked to the T.V. I ended up taking a long shower and by 5:30pm, my friends and I headed off to dinner. Only four and a half hours left.

The next two hours were the hardest. Here I realized more so than every before how much of a time killer electronics were. I realized how checking my phone regularly had become such a habit. When there’s a moment of silence in a conversation, when I’m between activities or even when I’m not realizing it, I glance at my phone and check the “Big Three”: Texts, Twitter and Instagram. They are my Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

I decided to read 1453 by Roger Crowley, the book my class History of Islam class was assigned. The reading was slow, especially since all of my friends were hanging out and having a good time. I just needed to get to 8 oclock, which is when the hockey team was gathering in Atwater to continue partying. I used that as motivation and read for roughly an hour. Not only did I get through a crucial part of the day without using any digital media, I was productive and got ahead with work. It was satisfying to say the least.

Once I put my book down, I got dressed and headed over to the party. I had two hours left in the fast but he worst of it was behind me. At 10pm, I turned my phone back on and felt reconnected with life. It seemed weird to feel this way considering I had been surrounded by my friends all day. I’m so used to being on top of everything going on – further than in my own geographical location – that having my phone turned off was deprivation.

Here is a breakdown of my day:

10:00pm Friday: Went to bed

10:30am: Woke up

11:00am: Breakfast

11:30am: Stretch/warm-up

12:15pm: Departure for run

12:35pm-2:30pm – Party

3:00pm-5:00pm – Nap

5:00pm-5:30pm – Shower

5:30pm-6:00pm – Dinner

6:30pm-7:45pm – Read

8:00pm-10:pm – Partied

– Cam