Dealing with addiction

Imagine, if you will, a weekend without technology.  

That's right, an entire weekend without computer, Internet, cell phone, television, radio, mp3, iPod, etc.  

Or is this idea too hazardous for your Kindle to process?  

Teenagers, especially college students, crave technology like an alcoholic craves Scotch.  

It's an addiction that needs to be addressed.  Therefore, I decided to conduct a little experiment.   

This past weekend, I shut off all of my electronics.  You guessed it, no FaceSpace for me!  

From Saturday to Monday I vowed to go "sans technology."  

So I hid my phone and prayed to the techno-God that my Rockmail wouldn't overload.  

Determined, I started my Saturday off by driving down to work, in Pittsburgh, without the radio.  

I must say this was the WORST part of my weekend.  I endured an entire car ride, by myself, completely consumed by my own thoughts.  

But once I arrived at work and reconnected with my friends, things started to turn up.  I actually began to enjoy the idea that I didn't have to check my phone.  

Who cares if the boy I have the biggest crush on finally texts me, or my aunt asks me out to dinner, or my sister tags me in a photo.

In the little free time I had surrounding work, I focused my energy on reading ahead in my classes.  

I felt productive and unbothered.  A sense of peacefulness had come over me.  

No one was nagging me about homework or asking me what my plans were for the night.  

I was liberated of all distractions!

However, by the end of Sunday I felt like caving in.  

I desperately wanted to check my phone or listen to my iPod.  

In fact, I neglected to run on Monday morning because I knew that it was worthless without the music.  

Needless to say, I turned my phone back on by Monday afternoon.  I had gone long enough.

Immediately, I felt reconnected as if my life had been on hold for the weekend.  I had but four text messages, all of which were about weekend plans (and no, that boy never texted me).  

That's when it hit me.  If I had my phone turned on all weekend, I would have constantly been checking it.  Why?  

Because, like most of society, I'm a compulsive communicator who has become so accustomed to technology that I could not imagine a week without it.  This is not the path I saw myself headed on.  

Case in point, the best way to address this technology craze is to find a balance.  From now on, I'm going to hide my phone in my underwear drawer and WALK AWAY.  

I've realized that a nice break from technology can turn out to be a very cathartic experience.   

I can finish my homework more efficiently and set aside extra time to relax--no distractions.  

So take my advice and free yourself from your BlackBerry for the night or even just a few hours a day.  

Your future carpal tunnel will thank you.