Breaking My Technology Addiction

CaptainFF5 is taking a stand against her technology obsession—are you brave enough do the same? We're definitely, definitely not. —Sparkitors

Like so many other twenty-first century teens, I have a serious problem: I'm addicted to electronics. From TV to the internet, from my iPod to my Facebook account, I just can’t stay away! As a result, my homework never gets done, I stay up way too late, I have drastic mood swings, and my mind never gets a moment's rest. I know I need to change, so I'm finally calling it quits. That’s right: I’m giving up electronics.

Before you suck all the air out of the room with your gasp of surprise, let me explain myself. Recently, my mom gave me an article on how I could decrease my sugar intake by removing sugar from my diet altogether, and then gradually bringing it back, a little at a time. I figured that the same concept could be applied to all my favorite electronics: if I ban them completely, and then reintroduce them bring them in small, controlled doses, I might be able to obtain the happy, well-rounded life I’ve always wanted. So here’s my game plan:

For one whole week, I will cut out the following items from my life:
- TV
- Computer (both the family computer and my laptop)
- iPod
- My mom’s iPhone (she has all the cool games)

Here's the only caveat: I'm keeping my cell phone around. But ONLY because I’m expecting an important phone call, and it’s the only way people will be able to contact me in case of an emergency. I swear, no late-night texting sprees, no taking fifty bazillion pictures of my cats with the cool special effects, and no staring at the LED screen just so I have some form of electronic stimuli. Nope. No way. This ban is totally legit, so I’m going to take it seriously.

After the week is over, I'll allow myself to bring back one of the above electronics, but I can only use it for one to two hours a day. Most likely it will be the computer, as I’ll be desperate to share the results of my 7-day stretch without technology and check what I've missed on SparkLife. After another week has passed, I'll add in another item, all the while making sure I’m not spending too much time in techno-land. If I start to push the limits and fall back into my old ways again, then I’ll burn all the technology in my house and move to the Arctic Circle (er, or something like that).

Questions I’ve asked myself:
How will you record your thoughts and feelings without a computer? I’ll use a good, ol’ fashioned stone tablet and a chisel. Duh.

What will you do if you have to write a paper for school? I’ll do just that: write it. On paper. With a pencil. Like the cavemen used to do.

What will you do when your family is watching Glee this Tuesday? I’ll build a pillow monster. It will either be a mummy, a bumblebee, or a combination of Optimus Prime and Beyonce. Haven’t decided yet.

What happens if your noelectronicophobia kicks in and you go insane and start roleplaying with Barbies and only eating vegetables that start with P and you have to be sent to an asylum? Um… I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.

So there you have it: the makings of my awful genius plan to rid myself of technology for the sake of my sanity. Keep your fingers crossed that I’ll be able to pull through!

We're rooting for you, Lena! If you ever allow yourself to read SparkLife again, give us an update on your progress!

Related post: Blogging My "The Internet Is Broken!" Breakdown