Event 2: 24-hour Unplug Challenge


Unplugging to Recharge: How to ...

https://www.amyvetter.com/blog/unplugging-recharge-amz36


“Disconnecting from technology can help you reconnect with yourself and the people around you, leading to more genuine interactions and experiences.” (Weeraman) For this week's event, I attempted the “24-Hour Unplug Challenge.” Going into this challenge, I thought it was going to be more difficult than it was. Being a college student, I feel like I am around a screen or some piece of technology 24/7. This feeling makes the idea of technology feel like a necessity in my life more than a luxury. The idea was that without technology and, more importantly, any media outlet to help supply me with sports news, it felt like a daunting task. 


Reading apps: how technology is ...

https://retailtechinnovationhub.com/home/2024/5/20/reading-apps-how-technology-is-transforming-the-way-we-consume-books

I began the day by waking up a couple of hours earlier than I do, to my surprise, since I usually rely on an alarm clock to wake up. My morning already felt more “efficient” since I did not waste time scrolling on my phone. An inconvenience I did run into was realizing that I couldn’t do any work on my computer. However, it was a solvable issue since I could study using a physical textbook. Although I was not in my “comfort” zone of studying through a laptop, I felt that when studying, I was more focused on grasping the material and did not find myself zoning out that often. Additionally, I felt a sense of nostalgia studying from a textbook, because it felt like how I used to study as a kid throughout middle school and high school. This is supported by a study by the University of Texas researchers that found that “Participants demonstrated enhanced focus, with improvements equivalent to reversing a decade of age-related cognitive decline” (Storey).


Wooden Center renovations spur reactions on potential disruptions, improvements - Daily Bruin

https://dailybruin.com/2024/09/20/wooden-center-renovations-spur-reactions-on-potential-disruptions-improvements


After studying, I usually watch whatever sport is live on TV, but that luxury was not afforded to me today. So instead, I decided to spend the rest of the day playing sports. I first went on a little run, then ended the day playing basketball for quite a while. 





It was hard at first being surrounded by all my friends with phones on them, but I got quite used to the idea of “being where your feet are at.” Overall, I felt that a day without technology felt like a “reset” for me, as a study would say, “Turning off electronics allows you to step away from the constant barrage of online information to give your mind a chance to rest and reset” (Riley) Furthermore, the idea of being without technology for an extended period of time no longer feels daunting to me. Although I am unsure if I would ever go without technology for 24 hours again, I feel that implementing it throughout certain time frames in a day would be very important and beneficial for me.



Sources:

  

Weeraman, Dehara. “Disconnect to Reconnect: Step 5.” One Nature Institute, 16 Oct. 2024, https://onenatureinstitute.org/stories/disconnect-to-reconnect-step-5/.


Storey, Denis. “No Surprise. Unplugging From Your Smartphone Is Good For You.” Psychiatrist.com, 19 Feb. 2025, https://www.psychiatrist.com/news/no-surprise-unplugging-from-your-smartphone-is-good-for-you/


Riley, H. Kelley. “The Power of Unplugging: 6 Health Benefits of Spending Time Offline.” SummaCare, 26 Sept. 2024, https://www.summacare.com/blog/entries/2024/09/the-power-of-unplugging-6-health-benefits-of-spending-time-offline.


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