This challenge was one that I thought would be impossible for me to complete, I mean, twenty-four hours without technology, that is insane! The one part that I did not expect to come out of this project, was that I would be learning a lot about who I am as a person, how I react to certain situations and how much I felt like I needed technology.
After landing at LAX International Airport for a weekend getaway, my phone was powered off and I commenced with my twenty-four hours without technology. Within minutes, I found myself reaching for my phone and was clearly distressed since I was unable to check to see if I had any notifications. Instantly my mood was affected, filling me with a sense of longing for my technology, boredom since nothing was consistently stimulating me, and sadness since I kept thinking that I was missing out on something important. This range of emotions was felt within the first thirty minutes, and the fact that I was in a different city, reunited with my sister, and surrounded by my family somehow wasn't satisfying or stimulating enough for my brain was enlightening. As the day went on, and I started to come to terms with the fact that I could not use technology, I felt my mood change from being antsy and anxious to being calmer and at peace with where I was, what I was doing, and what I was thinking about.
Before I truly felt that I had reached a sense of calm and presence of mind, my mind was racing with all the possibilities of notifications I could be missing out on, any major world events that would happen in the span of just twenty-four hours. I felt that I could not concentrate on the things that were happening right in front of me, such as driving through downtown LA, going sightseeing and going to attractions. Instead, my brain was having thoughts such as, "I wonder if any of my friends have tried to get in contact with me?", "Oh my god, I really want to Snapchat this", "Are any of my friends missing me right now?" , "Am I missing anything big that has happened in the past three hours in the world?" This affected my ability to concentrate in that I was not able to be fully present in what I was physically doing at the moment since my mind was somewhere different from where my body was. Upon realizing this, I was disappointed with how attached to my phone I truly am, but I am trying to use it as a learning experience to remind myself to step back from my phone at times.
My long weekend in LA was one that I will never forget, it felt amazing to have a getaway from the stress of school, college, and being away from home and be able to spend time with my family and just be with the people who truly love me the most. I spent my weekend with my mom, my dad, and my older sister, exploring LA and taking part in many different activities.
When this assignment was first given in one of my classes, I did not believe that I would be able to accomplish it and felt that it was practically impossible. I then became very determined to accomplish it, picking the best day to complete it, and completing homework assignments prior to the challenge so I would not get behind. What I did not expect to happen, is that I would learn so much about how I live my day to day life and how prevalent of a role technology plays in my life. I was able to remind myself how much I enjoy just going outside and looking at nature, sitting peacefully and taking in everything that is around me, not just constantly checking my phone desperate for a notification to occupy my mind. This assignment has made me determined to set aside time away from my devices as often as possible and complete activities that I truly enjoy and just take some time in my day to be present with myself and keep a strong sense of mental strength and clarity.
