Lately I have been thinking about how much technology is a part of my life. I wake up, check my email, read the news on my iPod Touch while still in bed. I get up and download netcasts. Load them up to my iPod Nano. I listen to music on the bus. I twitter from anyplace I can. Every day all day there is some sort of a gadget in my hand.
This self imposed dependence on my infant cylons is starting to look more and more like an addiction. In order to avoid further spiralling down this technological dependence I have decided to create a day free of all gadgets.
What better day for this than every Friday. We are already encouraged to give something up on Fridays, it being a day of penance, and giving up meat is too easy with all the yummy vegetarian dishes I enjoy. To give up technology on the other hand is a really big deal for me. It would mean a silent bus ride (maybe I'll read some spiritual book!) It will mean not listening to music at work (This one will be VERY tough. It's what's making my day go by faster and keeps me awake!) It will mean that I have to be silent with myself. Something I have been neglecting lately.
The plan is that from sunrise to sunset on every Friday from now on (excluding Solemnities and Feast Days) I will not use my iPods, I will not use twitter or any other social network, I will not use my computer at home (no choice at work) and I will not check my personal emails. Also no radio, no TV and generally no gadgets! (If I had a cell phone I would also include that.)
I hope that this experiment will give me more opportunity to reflect on my life and what's really important. I hope that the silence will create a more prayful mind set and that I will end up being less dependent on my gadgets.