Time Without Technology

As a freshman in college, one of my assignments for English class was to go a day without a certain piece of technology to see how much I depended on technology and how I would be affected without the use of technology. I decided to give up my phone and iPod. I could not give up my computer because I had to use it to do homework, which already says something about my dependence on technology. I do not consider myself the kind of person who is on the computer most of the day. I usually use my computer to check emails, do homework, and sometimes catch up on my TV shows. I just recently got a Facebook profile so being on Facebook too much is not a problem. I don't even text a lot. I use my iPod for when I walk to class each day. My day started out okay, but as the day progressed and classes were over I reached into backpack to get my cell phone in order to text message my friends about dinner. I realized that I could not use my cell phone, so I had no idea of when dinner was, or what my friends and I were doing for dinner at all. The most incredulous thing was that I would have to wait for my friends to arrive one by one in order to find out what we were doing for dinner. It was at that moment that I realized how impatient I had become. The best reason for texting is that it is convenient and fast, but for this convenience I had lost my patience, I wanted immediate gratification and answers. After dinner, I realized that I would be unable to call my parents and I felt disconnected. As the day came to an end, I realized how much I actually depended on my phone, although I claimed to not use it much. Wendell Berry, former English professor at the University of Kentucky wrote the essay “Why I Am Not Going to Buy a Computer?” in which he outlined the reasons why he was against computers. It is undeniable that Mr. Berry had some solid reasons for not wanting to use a computer. He mentioned that using a computer would damage the relationships that he had with his family, and it shocked me that his sentiments, somewhat, rang true. As I was contemplating how to contact my friends for dinner, I realized that maintaining friendships without the use of my phone would take more time and effort. In a world like today’s it is difficult to function on a daily basis without encountering technology. I agree with Mr. Berry in that we should not allow technology to interfere with our personal relationships. There should be an equal mix of technology and non-technology in our lives. Not everything has to be electronic. We should not allow our loved ones to stop mid conversation in order to text someone. Technology should not take importance over the people we love.