I've had my IPhone 6 for about a year now and all I can say is that I'm addicted. But not just addicted to the phone itself, but to the internet, to apps, to social media. The very website you are reading this article on has been apart of my obsession. And I feel I'm not the only one who is like this, anyone born into the "Technology" Generation has had this problem. We have grown up with technology, not really knowing how it's like not live with a television or a computer at our disposal. I didn't have my first phone until I was sixteen and even then I didn't have internet on my phone. So when my family and I went up north to the tip of Wisconsin and into the Upper Peninsula. I was reminded what it felt like to be wireless and without internet. Granted my mom did have some service so I got to check Snapchat every once in a while, but for the three days I was up there it was nice not to have internet.
We were positioned alongside of a lake and tons of acres of woods and the only few private cabins along the lake. I noticed that it's so quiet and I loved it. There were no cars whizzing by, no kids running around, and certainly not many people around for miles. You could sit still and only hear the breeze against the trees and a whole zoo of birds calling back and forth between each other. It was so peaceful out there that using a phone sort of ruined the experience. Instead of watching YouTube or surfing FaceBook like any other day when I'm bored I actually spent time relaxing, swimming, and spending time with my family.
In some ways it's very hard for a lot of people, including me, to resist the urge to check that notification or to respond to that text message. When you're away from your phone it means you're away from responsibilities and stress. But sometimes it's very hard to let go of that stress because that's all we know. This is a challenge that's hard to overcome for a lot of people, but it's worth it in the end. I found that I didn't want to leave because I really did enjoy just being out in nature without any distractions. Who knows what you can do without distractions from outside forces, you could read a great book, try out a yoga or some other exercise techniques, paint the nature that you see, or even go try out hunting and catch a huge fish. There are so many unique things that you can do when you let go of technology. Could you do it? Could you go without your phone or tablet or TV for a day, a week or even a month? What can you do when you unplug? I would suggest trying it out and seeing what you can do.
