Howdy folks,
I wanted to talk briefly today about something I think we could all use.
A day / week / month without internet.
I’m not a doctor, just someone with some basic observation skills.
I’m also a teacher, and as such, I think we could all use this every once in a while. What, you ask, is ‘this?’
A day without internet. I realize the hypocrisy immediately. After all, you’re reading this on the internet, I use it for my job daily, if not hourly, and I make money from my books using, you guessed it, the internet. But imagine for a moment you weren’t glued to your screen. What could you accomplish? Imagine how much you could complete! For me, my hobbies range from miniature building, to reading, to writing and video games. The internet & resources it provides are important parts of all of them. My hobbies are generally improved/supported by the internet. My experience is better with it.
But what if I took a break? What if I stopped for a second and said – hey, this is sucking up tons of my free time, whether it’s Social Media (I’m looking at you, Twitter/FB/Instagram) or simply reading what other hobbyists / writers are doing. Those things are great, but if you’re forever reading other people’s things, when will you do your own?
When my phone was in the last stages of dying recently, I experienced a wave of successes in my personal life. Things got accomplished, and they got accomplished quickly. I couldn’t be sitting and staring at a screen, as the phone would die in what felt like minutes (but was probably much longer). But I got stuff done. At the same time, my main computer was also dead, and a temporary replacement was much, much slower, meaning I couldn’t just sit there and play video games.
Curses you say? (Surely, I did curse) But also a way to get things done)
House cleaned? Done
More models painted in a few weeks than in previous months? Done
Various Book Related things? Done
Things organized to be donated? Done.
Feeling more reconnected with my Fiance? Absolutely!
Seriously. All this because my primary internet-connected device – the iPhone – was dying. People say that human productivity continues to skyrocket because of the internet. But I think that our human connections continue to struggle with it. Especially when I look at how some of my students prefer to look at their phones rather than talk to their classmates next to them. So do yourself a favor. Just like “TV Free Week” used to be a thing (or still is a thing, maybe?) Try giving the internet a break, especially on your phone this week of Valentine’s Day. Let me know your results! See what you accomplish!
Modern Papyrus 