How I lived for a year with no internet
Here's a tiny confession: so I've been living without internet for a year. On purpose.
Yep, you can close those mouths hanging open ☺️ I know in a world of technology, where absolutely everything runs on internet, it's hard to disconnect. So about an year and a half ago, to the date, I realized technology was taking up too much of my time. I was either watching shows all the time, on my phone nonstop... Then one night me and my fiancé were in a restaurant and I took note of all the couples there on their phones instead of talking to each other. It was an eye opener. We never did that at a restaurant, but in our own private time there were a few instances where we'd be on our phones rather than conversing. I've had friends with whom I'd hang out, wanting to catch up after ages, and they'd be on their phones the entire time.
It became aggravating and made me increasingly feel like I'm living in a very socially disconnected world. I craved interaction and... real face time. Plus, at the time we were planning our wedding, and the stress of it was exhausting.
So, smack in the middle of it, we cut it off: smartphones, internet. We bought 2 prepaid phones that only had voice and texts. And we resorted to doing everything the old school way. For banking, we'd call in. For road trips, we'd print the map or buy a map, etc. And movies and shows? We got reacquainted to our local library.
In reality, the only time we used the internet was at work during work hours, for work-related activities (including marketing and networking for our respective passions).
The results? 1. More connection time, face to face
2. More free time to do what we liked: spend with the dogs, go jogging, etc
3. Less caring of what people thought, since we didn't focus on social media
4. More in tune with the reality of the world - we were reading newspapers, not just what the Facebook feeds gave us to read based on some algorithm
5. More stimulating conversation
6. More time try out new things in the city and around our home, because we became aware of all these new opportunities advertised at our local library and recreation centre, eg. Museum passes, cave snorkelling, different classes, etc.
7. Saving money But the greater thing I learned, is that having smartphones, tablets, and the internet at your fingertips is not the centre of the universe. Being aware of the world around you, and making connections are way more important.
It also definitely continued to be an eye opener on our entourage and how many of those people (including young family members) were obsessed with the newest games, social media, Netflix... And would not let it go.
The gasps and horrified stares when people found out we didn't have internet were a good riot 😂. In fact, I can say our friends had a much harder time adjusting to this new limitation than we did. "How do you live without Netflix 😲?" was a recurring question. My answer? "Well, oddly enough there's this building nearby my home stocked with all the newest movies and shows, and I get them for free!"
Their reaction was puzzling, so i always had to specify it was my local library 😂 fun times!
And how did this affect me in terms of my writing? I didn't have the distractions! And I learned to use an old school thesaurus rather than google to get rid of my repetitive words in my stories 😊
What about now, you ask? Well, my husband surprised me with a new iPhone this spring, and I didn't say no. However, my habits where technology is concerned are completely altered. I don't feel the need to scroll aimlessly through my emails and facebook, or constantly be searching something. I stick to using the internet for marketing purposes only, and doing everything else the usual way. And In the end, I still get to enjoy picking a movie with my hubby at the library every week! That part has not changed, and I don't think we'll ever give it up. Plus, nothing really compares to our dinner & movie in nights 😁
What are your guys' thoughts on technology? Have you ever gone a long period without internet?
