Doing this digital detox was an isolating experience. I was the only one from my groups of friends without technology for an entire day. I felt like everyone was in a bubble filled with social media and I was on the outside looking in. There were several instances where I would sit with my friends in silence while they were on their phones.
I realized that we often use our phones as a social crutch.
Whenever the conversation would fade away everyone would whip out their phones. We need something to supplement the silence, to fill the void. In the article, Stop Googling, Let’s Talk by Sherry Turkle, she describes the exact situation I was experiencing “When you sense that a lull in the conversation is coming, you can shift your attention from the people in the room to the world you can find on your phone.” Before the digital detox I had not noticed that I went to my phone when conversation became boring, unfortunately it was something that came so naturally I was not aware that I did it or why I did it.
When everyone went to their phones, I sat there in silence. I did not comment on their need for constant entertainment, or ask them to look up from their phones, to pop the bubble of technology they were stuck in. I did not say anything because then the pressure would have been on me to carry the conversation, to be the source of entertainment. I could not do that better than their phones so I eventually just left. I did not have access to the internet and felt like I was stuck by myself in the real world while everyone else was in a haze in the virtual world. I was alone in a room full of people.
During digital detox I realized that it is really really hard to be bored! I craved the constant stimulation that technology offers. While going throughout my day I missed listening to music. I missed playing games on my phones to pass the time. There were also several times when I had to wait for someone for a couple of minutes or simply stand in an elevator. I usually would have went for my phone, to keep me preoccupied for that short amount of time. I was not able to so I had to endure the awkward silence. It was annoying being without a phone. However, I now know that our brain needs those small breaks with no stimulation to function properly. To reset itself and clear the necessary thoughts from our minds.
Reflection:
Overall, this detox was a positive experience. I learned that I could live without my phone, and I learned to simply deal quiet moments. I have noticed I take my phone out less, it is now just more of a hassle to take it out for a few minutes than to just sit there in silence. I would most likely do a digital detox again in the future.
