Disconnected For a Day
October 21, 2022
Writer: Ava Manelis
Editor: Carolyn Berryman
7 hours and 13 minutes. That was my average weekly screen time that popped up on my phone this past Sunday. Excluding being in class, doing homework, or sleeping - I spent almost every other waking moment on my phone. The idea that I can spend so much of my day glued to this device, disconnected from the world around me, is quite scary. This discovery is what challenged me to disconnect for a day: no phone, computer, music, or television - just myself, and a notebook, in which I wrote down my thoughts throughout my technology-less Saturday.
The day started at 8:45 am, although I probably woke up closer to 8:30 am; I fought opening my eyes for a solid 15 minutes before actually getting up. Not having my phone in my face when I woke up felt good, as I’m definitely a morning scroller—I typically would’ve lingered in bed longer than 15 minutes if I had my phone with me.
The first obstacle I faced was not having anything to listen to while I got ready for my day: each morning I typically listen to some sort of music, podcast, or YouTube video for a little extra stimulation while my brain works its way to waking up. I was left with the silence of my apartment while I did my morning routine, which felt rather boring.
It also felt odd not wearing my Apple Watch during my workout class, as I have almost always tracked the statistics from my workouts. This particular day, though, I had to rely on how sweaty and tired my body felt after the class to know I got a good workout in, rather than on the calorie count displayed on my watch after the class. I actually enjoyed this: I didn’t rely on a piece of technology to validate my hard work, and rather trusted myself and my body.
The shower I took after the class felt empty without the typical loud music I fill my bathroom with while I shower. Instead, I focused on the sounds of the rushing water above me, my own breath, and the stir of my roommates outside my bedroom door. This allowed me to be fully present. I was able to have more sincere thoughts that weren’t being pushed away by sound. I began to appreciate these pockets of peace and serenity (that I usually didn’t have) scattered throughout my day. As a person with a chaotic schedule, I don’t get to experience this quiet very often.
The Monday after my ‘disconnected’ day, I had an exam, so the rest of the day went by with ease since I spent it studying. For the first time, I studied with again, no music playing in the background, and rather, just the hum of the air conditioning, the pen hitting my paper, and the textbook pages flipping by. This quiet allowed me to be more productive in a shorter amount of time, despite not being as enjoyable of a study experience.
After studying, the evening went by with even more ease: my roommates and I made and ate dinner together, and with them around me, I never once thought about the fact that I was technology-less. They weren’t on their phones either, as we were too busy making dinner and catching up, so I didn’t feel like I was missing out.
Later, I went out with my roommates, and it was admittedly a little scary to be phoneless while at a party. I had a new fear of losing my friends and not being able to locate them without a quick “where are you?” text. On the other hand, I got to experience the night without texting, or taking pictures or videos, leaving me feeling fully engaged in the conversations I was having. I almost always feel the need to post on social media while I’m out with friends… is this to portray how much fun I am having? Why do I need to always be proving how much fun I’m having on social media? It made me realize that posting my ‘night out’ via social media doesn’t really matter at all.
This day of disconnection reminded me that being able to sit with myself and my thoughts, unimpeded by content, allows me to be fully present and engaged with the world around me – not the virtual one on my phone. My takeaway from this day has resulted in incorporating a content-free hour in each day. Although this may seem like a small change, I have learned that it is not. I feel more connected and in tune with myself than ever through incorporating more digital-free time into my days.
No matter how hard it was to not reach for my phone, I learned that it’s more important to be connected to myself, as well as the wonderful people around me in my life, than it is to be plugged in to technology. It’s important to prioritize the things in our lives that matter - technology and social media not being one of them.
Image: Ryan Hammel
