Detox exercise was a relatively easy and enjoyable thing to do, which is why I extended it from 8 to 12 hours. As I turned off all my electronic devices, I immediately felt happier. I started paying attention to my inner state and the surroundings, grasping the beauty of the morning sun, feeling the gentle wind on my skin, observing other people around me. On the contrary to Turkle’s claim that multitasking makes everyone feel good immediately as it gives the brain a new input, I felt good because I freed myself from multitasking. I could focus on one thing at time, such as my meal at breakfast in the dining hall, conversation with a friend, or the dirty floor of my room. No one could deprive me from the experiences of the real life, everything I could sense now and here, and everyone I could communicate with face to face.
The joy of being able to feel life more deeply on the rare of occasion of a technology detox proved to me that technology does deprive us of our senses. This relates to the words of Kuno in “The Machine Stops” when he talks about the Machine which “robbed us of the sense of space and of the sense of touch…” hence making humans lose a part of themselves. Even though I might have experienced a few moments of discomfort while being completely alone, I soon started rejoicing the solitude as it activated my awareness of the beautiful environment around me. I never felt bored, which is one of the main problems that Turkle highlighted. On the opposite, I felt more excited and entertained than usual, simply because I was more conscious of all the different components of my life.
However, the second part of the detox went not as smooth as the first one. I went to Dubai with friends in the afternoon, and this was when I realized that I’m seriously addicted to reporting whatever is going on in my life. The more fun things we did and saw, the more anxious I became. Why? Because I had no phone to upload an insta-story or send a picture to my friends and family on whatsapp. I felt so desperate about not being able to capture the moments of the trip, and I was jealous seeing my friends doing that all the time. Only after they promised to send me all the pictures and videos that they were making, I calmed down a little bit. When I returned to my room, I rushed to my phone and started sending and uploading these pictures and videos, relieving my anxiety at the same time.
So, even though thankfully I have not experienced loneliness, boredom, or desire to put my attention in my phone, I did feel anxiety about not being able to share my experiences with my whatsapp contacts and Instagram followers. In other words, while being in a group of my friends in Dubai, I couldn’t stop thinking how much I wanted others to hear and see how awesome my day was. This proved that although I can easly go without receiving information, I am somewhat addicted to communicating information to others.
