Operation Off the Grid

It is one in the afternoon and I am six hours into my twelve hour adventure in the real world...you know, that world without internet or video games? It's not so bad, really. I woke up just after seven and shut off my phone and computer. I had some breakfast and did the usual morning crap. After all that, I cleaned my room [this part probably sucked the most...cleaning is awful to begin with, but take away music and it just becomes painful]. This, unfortunately, only took up about an hour of my day, so when I finished I pulled out some knitting that I have been neglecting for the last month or so. I spent the next few hours sitting on my front porch and working through some leg warmers....perhaps this is what my life will be like as an old woman who is, presumably uninterested in video games by that point in her life [I really hope this is not the case, however]. Eventually, my brain guilt-tripped me into getting some homework started. I didn't really need to stay at home, as I didn't require the use of internet nor electricity, so I grabbed my backpack and headed to the park. I've been here for a good while now and I've completed quite a bit of reading and I even hand wrote my group's boss project proposal :) Even blogging has taken a bit of a twist today. Rather than composing this entry on my laptop in a tiny white text box, I am laying in the grass and writing it out in my notebook [I'll transcribe it to the internets later]. Anyway, it is a super nice day, so I am headed off for a run. I shall report on the rest of my day later.

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It's about a day after my twelve hours of technology-free time ended. I've had some time to think about it and I've come to the conclusion that I really enjoyed being off the grid. I am considering making it a weekly thing, actually. What I missed the most was not texting nor was it Facebook....I missed music the most. I found myself going for the computer and my phone at numerous points during the day. As I was getting ready in the morning, I walked over to my computer thinking I could just check to see what the weather was going to be like....nope. Later, I was getting ready to head to the park and I went to grab my phone...and had to just leave it there. I did find that I felt a little less secure leaving my house without my cell phone. I eventually got used to it and simply made my way through...getting a lot of knitting done in the process :)

While I was thinking, I also figured out that I have unintentionally done this no technology thing before. I spent about a month living in a monastery in the rural northern mountains of the Dominican Republic this past summer. During that time I was able to access the internet maybe half a dozen times and only for very brief amounts of time. It wasn't so bad :)

Virtual Time

I spend an immense time in virtual spaces. On a daily basis I use my iPhone, laptop, and desktop to explore these virtual environments. Within these devices I surf the internet, read the news, play video games, and do homework. I'd like to think that the time I spend virtually is mostly productive, but I know that I do spend a generous amount of time in video games and mindlessly surfing the internet. Dr. Shannon posed a question last class and I'd like to consider it in this post, "What would happen if it all went away?"

First and foremost, I believe that my organization of work and school would suffer immensely. As a nanny and part-time babysitter I lack a concrete work schedule. I use the calendar in my iPhone to organize where I need to be and when; it also allows me to set reminders. Virtual spaces also enable efficient and immediate communication between me and my friends/classmates/etc. With such busy schedules, sometimes it is difficult to find times to suit everyone to meet for a group project. This is where the internet is immensely helpful in providing us with tools like Prezi. In that particular application, you can edit your presentation simultaneously and in real-time without being physically together. I also use virtual spaces to keep in touch with my best friend who lives and attends school in Seattle, Washington. While we send each other weekly letters or postcards through the USPS we also enjoy talking on the phone and interacting through virtual mediums such as Facebook, Tumblr, Skype and our personal blogs.

Beyond all of that, virtual worlds give me a break from the real world....something I need rather frequently. After spending a whole day on campus attending classes and doing work I need something to just distract me from real life for a bit; an escape if you will. Sometimes I'll knit and watch a movie or read a book for pleasure, but on many occasions I just want to get online and thwart GLaDOS in Portal or try and tackle Ifrit and my lag in FFXIV. I enjoy the social community that comes along with MMORPGs like WoW and FFXIV. They give me the opportunity to game collaboratively with other RL people without leaving the comfort of my spinny chair. Furthermore, virtual applications such as Mumble and Ventrilo enable real-time verbal communication between players. If all of this went away I supposed there would be an overabundance of knit hats and scarves in the world. :)

Due to some cajoling and teasing, I've decided to turn off everything that would enable my connection to virtual worlds for twelve hours starting the moment I wake up. I'll be doing it this coming Friday, so if you need to be in contact with me for any reason...be sure to have your carrier pigeons ready ^_^ If you're feeling particularly adventurous you are welcome to join me in this endeavor and maybe we can compare our experiences :)