On February 17, the University at Buffalo’s beloved Ellicott complex suffered a shock to its very foundation—an Internet blackout. For about five hours, dormers fell into a panic because their Facebook pictures were left untagged, and their corresponding AOL Instant Messenger conversations were left twisting in the wind. My roommate threatened to call University Police if he wasn’t again surfing by midnight, as if they really care about his favorite YouTube videos.
Fortunately for him, the cops, and the chaotic Ellicott complex, the net was restored at around 11 p.m., and certain anarchy was averted. Yet, the entire “crisis” got me thinking: if college students can barely function without the Internet for a couple of hours, how on Earth could they survive without any modern technology? As an inquisitive journalist, I decided on a little experiment: spend an entire week without the use of any electronics or technology. In this era, with technology governing our every move, is such an endeavor even possible?
Here were the rules:
No computer/Internet
No cell phone
No television/music
No elevator
No microwave/stove, and
No motorized transportation
The only technology I would allow is lights, an alarm clock, and my UB card (for obvious reasons). Welcome to 1850—well, kind of.
I chose to pursue this experiment during the week of February 25-March 2, and at first I really didn’t think it would be that hard. Monday went by pretty well, especially since the weather was unseasonably warm, making the walk to class even enjoyable. Avoiding the bus finally gave me an excuse to put a new chain on my bike, which allowed me to cruise through campus quickly and easily. I spent the rest of the night with friends so I didn’t mind not using my computer or watching TV. I went to bed that first night confident in my ability to survive the week with little disruption to my life. I was sadly mistaken.
Monday’s weather proved to be a tease, for it was followed by bone-chilling temperatures and searing wind. Riding my bike through the snow and slush was like trying to front-crawl through a pool of week-old Jell-O. Without a bike, I was at full mercy of the relentless Buffalo weather. The worst part was the wind, as there was no way to protect my face. Everywhere I went, it felt like I was in a commercial for that new Five Cobalt peppermint gum, except this cold wasn’t computer-generated.
As a university ahead of the curve with Internet capabilities, sites like UBLearns and MyUB are designed to help students interact better with their professors and classmates. So, without the Internet, I quickly fell behind. I completely forgot about a quiz in one of my classes. All the notes were online, and if I had been able to use a computer, I could have done a bit of quick cramming beforehand.
One of the biggest problems I faced during the week was finding primitive ways to entertain myself. A survey of over a hundred UB students showed that 57 percent could not live without the Internet, while 30 percent said they couldn’t survive without a cell phone. In recent years, improvements and innovations on cell phone and Internet have increased exponentially. Cell phones, which once were the size of a small dog, are now small enough to fit in your Levi’s fifth pocket. They now also come equipped with more than most know what to do with: video cameras, web browsers, even Tetris. I can’t wait for the day when I can use my cell phone to heat up my burrito.
Remember using dial-up to log onto the net? Nowadays, people can download The Rolling Stones’ entire discography in less time than it’ll take you to finish reading this article. Out of all the technology I forbade myself, I ached for these two the most. Hearing my phone ring and not being able to pick it up was literally eating me alive. Without online communities like Facebook and MySpace, I was cut off from all my friends outside of UB and not using a cell phone meant it was really hard to make plans with local friends. As depressing it may sound, I felt pretty alone in a school with 28,000 students.
By the last three days, I began going through technology withdrawal. I was stressing out because I had a slew of essays I couldn’t finish and I’m sure the few friends I did get to see got tired of me constantly complaining about how much my life sucked without my iPod. So to help the days move quicker, I began taking naps…constantly. While it’s always nice to catch up on sleep, I learned there is such a thing as too much. I became such a lazy bum that I was pretty much only getting out of bed for dinner and classes. I spent the rest of the time laying around, doing my best impersonation of Jabba the Hutt.
Though I was miserable for the majority of the seven days, there were a few positives thrown in here and there. For one, I began reading more. It was pretty much my only option besides sleeping. Without distractions like TV or computers, I got caught up on all the books I had to read for my two English classes. I also took the time to read the newspaper every day between classes, something I never had the time to do or any interest in doing. After the initial shock of not answering my cell phone wore off, it felt pretty good not having one with me at all times. It was liberating to know I didn’t have to deal with annoying phone calls or worry about going over my minutes. The constant need to call or text someone eventually went away and it was nice to enjoy a little quiet time to myself. I also learned to enjoy talking to people directly rather than via AIM or Facebook. Whatever time I spent with friends became much more significant because chances were, it would be the only time someone would ask me about how my day was. Even if it was just meaningless banter, I learned to appreciate friends more and more as the week went on.
Classes also became way more interesting by the week’s end. I paid more attention to the professor and fellow classmates because between the sleeping, loneliness and lack of music, I was willing to listen to anyone talk about anything. I also took the time to meet new people. Ever notice those posters all over Ellicott advertising events like Yoga and game night? I took the time to check one out and it was great. Granted, there were only about four other people there, but nonetheless, we played The Weakest Link and had an awesome time laughing at the ridiculous answers everyone would come up with. I even got a free shirt out of it. I strongly suggest checking out these events in the future. You might be surprised by how much fun they can be.
Spending a week without what many people consider necessities was an eye-opening experience. I never realized how much I depended on technology until I was without it. Though I wouldn’t suggest giving up every electronic you own, I do recommend cutting back. Instead of texting your friends on the bus, strike up a conversation with the person next to you. Meet up with old friends for lunch rather than just posting a comment on their MySpace. All these little things add up in the end. I’m just psyched I can start taking elevators again.
