Breaking My Technology Addiction: The Future

CaptainFF5 wrote two earlier posts about giving up technology, and actually managed to stick to her guns. We're impressed! —Sparkitors

A long while ago, I posed a challenge to myself to cut down on my electronic use. I gave you a glimpse into the week immediately following, which I like to remember as “Hell on Earth.”  Now, I’m back to let you all know how things have been going ever since.

But first of all, thanks so much to my fellow Sparklers for all the nice and encouraging comments. It was great to see so many people rooting for me! I definitely needed the confidence-boost to make it through this challenge.

It has been about two months since I put my foot down against my technology obsession. I was originally going to update you right after the New Year, but… well, some stressful things happened. Here’s a breakdown of how these two months have been going for me…
Number of Times I Broke the Rules: 2.  My friend and I had an A Very Potter Musical marathon after a stressful day of studying back in December. Then after the New Year, my stress levels increased dramatically and I spent a whole day listening to my iPod. I think those reasons are justifiable, don’t you?

Number of Times I Wanted to Use Electronics but Didn’t: 27. Yes, I counted. It was that awful.

What I Did to Entertain Myself Instead: Stayed on top of my homework, went through a couple of coloring books, cleaned my room, hung out with my friends, and started an exercise routine.

My Overall Mood During This Challenge: At first I was frustrated. It hurt to have to tell myself "no" every time I wanted to watch a movie or play a video game. But then I realized what would hurt even more was giving in and regretting it later. Then I became okay with it, and was inspired to keep up the challenge.

What I Plan to Do Now: Basically, I’ve got things down to where I can still check email and Facebook, catch up on my favorite TV shows, and listen to music without overdoing it. I’ve decided to allow myself to go to the movies with friends or binge on video games whenever the need arises… but only if it’s justified that I do so. In other words, I’ll be placing higher priority with my education, health, and relationships, as I always should. My days of abandoning these aspects of my life in favor of mindless Facebook stalking and YouTube watching are over!

I would highly encourage everyone to try this challenge. Even if you cave after a week, you will enjoy the short time away from electronics. Don’t convince yourself that you need a computer, or that you would die if you went without your iPod for a while.

Trust me, there are things even more worthwhile.

What would you add to your life if you took out technology?

Related Post: Breaking My Technology Addiction: Part 2