I’m just wondering if people have experimented with a visual fast. Meaning no computer face time, tv or mobile surfing, etc. for a period of time.
Usually when I post something like this I get zero likes. It’s like people are: “No, don’t talk bad about the one pleasure I still have left in life”.
But really, is visual media helping us? Or are we overdosing? It’s a habit extremely hard to break. Like smoking cigarettes if you ask me.
I had a fast just before new year. I think I went about 8 days without using internet or watching tv. I was just listening to music or digital audio books. I felt I got to know myself and my feelings better. It was kind of like a revelation really.
I don’t know if I’d be well-served by a visual fast or not. I’m not a social media fan, so that’s out, but I do enjoy surfing the net, watching videos on Youtube or movies off my home media server, and listening to music. I’m also not into my phone. If I wasn’t married, I’d opt for a land line.
I think you asked some good questions. I have enough outdoor survival skills that I can do without the electronics, but I’d prefer not to. Mostly a matter of laziness and complacency on my part. Here’s to hoping the power doesn’t go out.
Yeah, I think your response reflects how many people feel about it. I’m not sure I would have made it outdoors for long.
I guess despite the fact that internet has only been in peoples lives for about the last 25 years it has totally hooked people. I know for my own sake that I have had feelings like, “the internet is where the action is” or “If I’m not online I’m missing out”.
Only problem is that when I stay online for long I actually get bored and start do a lot of stuff just to have something to do, but really I would be a lot better off just listening to album off my record player, solving a crossword, going for a walk…or whatever other non-digital activity I could do. It’s just the dam habbit that is so hard to break.
I’ve stopped watching TV for 6 months now. Radio for 3 months. I watch on my Laptop Amazon Prime Video and YouTube on my mobile.
But I will probably quit Kabel Internet when I move to a new apartment soon.
I’ve never been a tv show watcher or person. I rather open up a book. I’m addicted to music on the phone and internet/computer though. I like learning. I don’t play video games anymore.
I think it’s addiction with irreparable harm to our brains, society, and social skills. Some of it is okay. but some people are so addicted to their phones that it’s annoying. It shows lack of strength, will power, and self control.
I do screen time for reading books and the forum, but I haven’t watched video media in a while. Idk how long, maybe a few weeks. The exception would be videos my teacher assigns for class. I am not intentionally abstaining, though. I just tend to prefer written media to video lately for no apparent reason.
I had no internet for a month, and I only have 3GB on my smartphone for the internet. I had Radio and Books, but most of the time I was smoking and going back to bed. It was really tough, so tough that I ordered, after a month, my own Internet. I cancelled it after three months, in between my father got a new provider and after two months the household had internet again.
I think you need to be that kind of a person to cope with it. Otherwise it would be hard to learn it.
I wouldn’t say i overdose or being addicted to social media. Its something to do in 2021. Maybe without it i would read a book, listen to the radio, write,draw. There would be just something else i do to pass time.
I did fasts like these. Didnt have a smartphone for a month recently. I also dont have a tv or a computer with internet. I dont do social media.
Now im back to my smartphone addiction though. Im weak in this.
I wish i could go off all this technology entirely. I believe that would be good. I thought about buying a fixed home phone instead of my smartphone. When the library reopens (= public internet place) i might do this. I can go to the library to manage some essential administrative things and have a peaceful and calm home life with no screens.
You are not weak. The fact that you try to avoid it and recognize that it is a problem is a strenght. Not many do. Most people just take it for granted that whatever the media and technology giants come up with is how life is supposed to be.
I also avoid social media. I am pretty sure I will delete my fb account soon. It’s not for me. I have enough focusing on my own life instead of diving into everybody elses life. I don’t have to agree that social media is good just because it’s the hype of the times we live in.
As for internet I recommend getting a app that can help you set time limits. Often software that is used to keep children and adults safe from porn and malware has this. I use boomerang parental control. It costs a few bucks each year but I think it’s worth it. You can set up your phone so that you only have accsess to internet a limited amount of hours each day. I have it set at 2 hours right now. That makes you use your time wisely and not waste it on bs. Ofcourse nothing is foolproof, but you still lock your door at night, right?
It’s working great for me so I recommend it.
Trick is to block the host site from your phone so that you have to go to a library or something to change your settings.
Best of luck changing your habits. From experience I know it’s hard. Visual media is a drug.
The way things are now is how I figured they were supposed to be in my childhood, except I hoped much of this tech would be implantable by now. It took reality a while to catch up with my expectations. It hasn’t completely as I’m still short a hoverboard, flying car, and rocket backpack.
I’m not questioning the positive things that technology can bring us. The problem is a lot of people are struggling to adapt. And digital trends are spotlighting things that are absolutely non-essential to live a fulfilling life.
It’s nice to be able to pay bills online, but the shadow side is that people are wasting away hours on nonsense that takes over their life without people realising it themselves.
Take facebook. People share their lives and a online image is something people strive for. In reality people are forgetting to live their own physical life, because they get caught up in the digital black hole.
You have to go through a digital fast to understand what I’m talking about. People who were born in the early 70’s or before can relate because they actually know what it means to be not digitally dependant.
I don’t think screen time is a problem unless you make it a problem. I am practically glued to my phone, which I use to talk to friends or read a book. It is miles ahead of when I was a kid and was constantly reading a book and refusing to talk to friends. My friends can now interrupt my book because I get a ding and a pop up when they want to talk. My portable book also dings when I’m supposed to do stuff, so I remember to keep appointments more often. I recovered from brain damage in part because I downloaded Kenken and can do math puzzles when I’m bored. I can communicate with people whose language I don’t know. I can start to learn that language.
Skills I have learned over video just since covid started:
Crochet
Chocolate making
Bread baking
How to grow a yeast culture
How to install a bidet
How to change various parts on the snowblower
How to write in APA format
Calculus
Programming
Statistics
ASL
French
I think the technology is mostly neutral. It depends on how we use it.
Absolutely. It sounds like you have a healthy relationship to online activities. Unfortunatly a lot of people don’t and those are the ones I’m worried about.
I know that I need tools to help keep my digital activity sound and I imagine a whole lot of other people do so too.
