Category Archives: Student Blogs

Distant from the Online World

Posted on April 9, 2013 by | Comments Off on Distant from the Online World

@YakustaLeader4

This past Saturday I went most of the day without going online (mainly because I was out and about that I did not have access). It was pretty interesting and almost a kind of relief in not having to worry what was going on in Facebook, because usually not much does happen. Prior to this, I was not on Facebook or any social media site for almost two years. During this time, I did not really have the need nor want, of wanting to be online. However sometimes it was challenging because I have friends in California, and since I also did not have a cell phone at the time, then trying to stay in touch with them was pretty hard to do. But on the positive side, I was able to get more stuff done with school and able to focus more as well. Because of this extended time being offline, not being able to be online for a day was not that bad. During the school year I would definantly have to not be online so much if I want to stay focused. Also it did not kill me and the world did not end because I was offline. And the next day when I got back online, like i said before, nothing special or crazy happened in my absence.

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Time Without Technology

Posted on April 9, 2013 by | Comments Off on Time Without Technology

@JaredAbrahamWSU

When I started  this experiment of spending time without technology like; cell phones, iPods, and computers; I thought that it would be easy. I thought that it would actually be good for me, being disconnected from the rigors of keeping up on my virtual social profile. When I first started, it was easy and life seemed less cluttered. However, as time passed I started wondering  if my status in certain games had changed, since I was not being active in them. And I started thinking, what if there is an emergency and someone is trying to contact me through email or Facebook? What is going on in the outside world?

Going without technology for a period of time is life eating cauliflower. It may be an unpleasant experience, but it will be good for you. This experiment gave me time to start reading an old fashioned paperback book and do other activities that I never would have had the time to do if I was still plugged into my smart devices.

It is amazing that we have become so dependent on technology like computers and smartphones. Twenty years ago we could not have cared less if we went a day without being on a computer, but today we have been trained that we need these devices to live a successful and full life.

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It’s All About How You Use the Technology

Posted on April 9, 2013 by | Comments Off on It’s All About How You Use the Technology

On Friday, I decided to go almost technology-free, and there were both negative and positive outcomes. First, the negatives. I usually bring my phone to the gym and listen to music from it while I work out, but I left my phone in a locker on Friday so that I could experience it without the aid of technology. It sucked. Music pumps you up when you’re lifting, and not just on a psychological level, but if you listen to the right type of music it can actually increase your physiological potential as well. Not having that aid put me through a “meh” workout where I was just thinking about how soon until I could stop and go back home. Later that day, I did homework that was done using a book and paper that is due later in the week, instead of doing the homework that required the use of technology and was due on Monday. This incovenience wasn’t too bad, but it did change my plans of how I had to spend the next day. Other than those two things, it didn’t seem much different from a normal day because I recently decided to abjure from extensive social media use. I didn’t want to completely “leave the grid” but I didn’t want to waste as much time on there as I was currently doing. I’ve been fairly successful so far, enabling me to focus more on the priorities that need to get done for school and my career.

 

Now for the positives. Like I said above, I already try to abstain from extensive social media use, so it wasn’t some life-altering change. I did notice a slight increase in productivity during homework because I didn’t have the opportunity to get distracted. There are many times throughout the day where I get online to look something up, and then I see a link that looks interesting, and then another one, and then another one, and soon enough I’m tumbling down the rabbit hole.

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A break from my cell phone

Posted on April 9, 2013 by | Comments Off on A break from my cell phone

I decided to take most of the day off from my cell phone on Saturday because I wanted to see how if felt to not have it. I didn’t get a cell phone until 2004 so I knew I could manage it. First off I went to work without my phone which was a weird feeling. It was also somewhat scary because I’m a few peoples emergency contact info, so feeling disconnected was weird. I changed my voice mail so that if anyone needed to get in tough with me to call me at work. After I got home I used the rest of my day by working on my car and cleaning and getting things done around the house. It was amazing how much more productive I was by not being interrupted by text messaging. Later that evening I went to some friends house and still left my phone at home. It was actually a nice feeling not being distracted by texts and wanting to look at it while I was over there. I felt like I was more engaged with what was going on at all times. I almost forgot I had a phone, and my stress level was lower because I wasn’t constantly bothered by technology. The next day however was funny seeing the missed calls and people getting frustrated with me that I was not responding to them. We as society have become so reliant on needing to be connected to one another at all times that its now socially not acceptable to not get back to someone in a timely manner, which a decade and a half ago was not a big issue. This was a fun experiment.

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Some of us can live with or without technology…Can you?

Posted on April 8, 2013 by | Comments Off on Some of us can live with or without technology…Can you?

@Heather94720356

Ignoring the technology I had at my fingertips for ten hours was not only hard, but very weird. A feeling that I was excluded from the world came over me it was trippy to think that I would feel so behind and lonely without my smart phone or computer. I would text and call but I ignored all the notifications I was receiving from the various media outlets I am involved in. although in a way, I did feel sort of a ‘silent silence’ if I wasn’t able to click an app and jump right on the internet than what was I to do with my time? Instead of opening my laptop to research I was finding myself picking up a book and searching between the lines where I could figure out the meanings and reasoning’s behind the authors’ purpose. The ‘silent within the silence’ that I mentioned is just a description of the media world of noise and constant updates happening was silenced and my brain seemed to work harder in any activity I found myself doing.

I definitely depend on the virtual world and technology outlets but putting them all aside and trying to function without them gave me a torn experience; I was both pleased with my forced instincts to dig deeper in my research, but I also discovered the true reason why I use and depend on technology. Most people these days depend on it without really knowing why they do, in terms of truly experiencing the comparison of technology vs. no-technology. I depend on it now but at least I know how to live without it to, really I enjoy both ways but in balanced portions.

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Dies the Fire Survivor

Posted on April 8, 2013 by | Comments Off on Dies the Fire Survivor

When asked to go 24 hours without technology I had visions of total society breakdown, having to learn how to use a sword and being hurled into the dark ages. Since I said I would try, I bravely plowed ahead and christened Saturday “Unplugged” day.

When explaining this task to my husband he looked at me with doubt and said “Huh… well that’s not gonna happen.”

I promptly stated “pppssff… what’s the big deal, I can be off the grid for a day.”

Determined to do be successful despite my naysayer, I packed up my laptop and Nexus and gave my phone to my husband. What little did I know the chaos that would ensue in the next few hours.

At first it wasn’t bad, as I managed to get things done around the house. To the chagrin of my dog he got a bath, haircut and nails clipped. I vanquished the monster of unfolded laundry and took the kids to McDonald’s to play. After my return from the sixth level of hell I was worse than a crack addict needing their next fix.

To my rescue was a friend showing up to hang out and because I couldn’t do anything with technology we decided to check out the new liquor store that opened up in town. An hour and sixty dollars later we were back at my house doing tequila shots. This is where total anarchy broke out.

At midnight my husband gave me my phone in hopes of getting some peace and as some of you may know, I play a game called Ingress so my first order of business was checking out what was happening around town. To my surprise there were 15 portals unclaimed in downtown Vancouver and I was determined to claim them all.

After bribing my sister-in-law to drive me, I ended up running down Main Street with a kid’s hot pink umbrella, wearing my pajamas, in rain boots yelling at the bums that I had no money while I snagged eleven portals at 1 am.

Audra Mann | @WSUVcollegeMom

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Blog 12

Posted on April 8, 2013 by | Comments Off on Blog 12

 

@starlingpreston

As I went about my day without my smart phone and laptop, I now realize how dependent I am upon them. First I had no way to contact my boyfriend at all. Seeing as he doesn’t have a phone, our communication is strictly based through Facebook and school. Without my laptop we wouldn’t be able to socialize and interact unless it was in person. This correlated with Monroe’s “access divide”, where my frequency of my home computer was halted (9).

Secondly, my homework was affected. Seeing as I have an online class, my ability to access, complete, and submit my homework was halted. Furthermore, my contact with the professor is through email, so any chance I had of explaining myself was void. My dependency upon technology for school and work emphasizes Monroe’s “economic opportunity divide” where “my experience for taking a course online” was severely effected (9). In order to have figured out my homework I would have had to look up WSU’s number in a print version of Dex, call from a pay phone, and ask for my professor’s number.

Those who do not have access to a laptop or cell phone would not be able to complete an online class. They would have to commute to a public library or do their work at the university. Furthermore, they would have to do it when these establishments are open to the public. Looking up information would all have to be done by looking through a newspaper, phone book, or having access to a public library.

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Day away from teh internets

Posted on April 8, 2013 by | Comments Off on Day away from teh internets

@KatieGullans

Besides having the urge to open my laptop and check and delete my email, it was kind of enjoyable to go without using a computer. I was more easily able to focus on all the tasks I wanted to do without having to worry about that technology.  I think that the day can become more difficult when you go on the internet. For me, it can easily suck me in like a vacuum cleaner and it provides a huge range of distractions, especially when I click on google chrome and my eight most commonly used websites show up. I always feel the need to check all of them. Another problem is multitasking. I could be typing an essay and get bored, and before I know it, I’m looking at funny cat videos on youtube and playing robot unicorn attack on Facebook. I think that what was different about not being online was a sense of disconnectedness and not knowing what was happening. You’re more focused on your own thoughts and the people around you. If you want to find out about the world, you have to read the newspaper and if you want to know what your friends are up to, you should spend time with them. Advice would be needed to asked of people you know and not strangers on yahoo answers. Even when writing with pencil and paper, you can feel closer to your story as opposed to typing it. People can live without being online, but they just have to find different ways of doing things.

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blog 12

Posted on April 8, 2013 by | Comments Off on blog 12

It’s very hard to go 2 hours without using a smart phone because I’m frequently using my smartphone. I couldn’t imagine my life with these two things. Sometimes I wonder how people without these devices   can survive in this world. We can access almost everything online, from online classes, to online job applications, to online homework. It’s easier and faster to use computers and smartphones to search for things like jobs, housing, events, and places. I use websites like craigslist to find jobs and housing, that’s how I found my two bedroom apartment. Computers are easier to use when it comes to doing homework.  For example this class would be very difficult if you do not have access to a computer. We use social media like twitter and class blog website.

The two hours without my phone and my laptop were hard. To entertain myself for those two hours I decided to clean up my apartment but I kept on trying to reach for my phone. Cleaning my apartment only took one hour so for the other hour I took my son to the park and left my phone at the house so I wouldn’t be tempted to use it. I barely made it through two hours without my smartphone and laptop I don’t imagine going without these devices for 24-hours. I also noticed that certain people use these devices more than others just as Mossberger and Tolbert state in pg. 201 “ digital device has been used to describe the patterns of unequal access to information technology based on income, race, ethnicity, gender, age, and geography…”

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The digital divide

Posted on April 8, 2013 by | Comments Off on The digital divide

@C

Going without my laptop and Smart phone made me really appreciate the easy access I have to the Internet. Without these devices that make social interactions, homework, work, and the simple gathering of information easily accessible, social interactions would be limited, work would be harder to find, homework would be harder to do and gathering information would be a much larger task than typing key words into a search engine. Without using the Internet on my Smart phone I was not able to keep up with what was happening with my friends and family on Facebook and if I had a question or was curious about something I could not just Google the question to get an answer. This experience correlates to people who have limited or no access to wireless Internet connection because their access to social media and information would be severely limited just as mine was. “While the use of information technology is growing rapidly, some segments of society remain largely disconnected from this trend.” (Redefining the Digital Divide p. 201).Many people whether by choice or lack of financial means have no or limited access to technology. Laptops and Smart phones provide a way to easily access any information, or easily get in contact with someone. People that do not have access to this technology will have limited access to information, limited access to job availability due to the fact so many employers post job listings online only and they will also have limited access so information about their family and friends through social media.

ailinJohnson

 

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