kubitsky.net

While reading my new issue of Real Simple magazine I found a snippet talking about National PC Turn Off Week. The first week in August has been dedicated to this little “holiday.”

I haven’t really voluntarily removed myself from my computer for a long period of time before. But there have been a few times when I was without it.

First, I went to Croatia in the summer of 2000 and spent a week along the Adriatic Sea without a computer, but I had German satellite TV.

Second, was when I spent 2 weeks in the Southwest hiking the Grand Circle of national parks. There was no way I was going to lug a laptop with the rest of my gear.

Third was when I went to Iceland and England. My boyfriend had a laptop to off load pictures, but I was very good at not touching it.

And last, was when I was in Croatia again. I spent almost a week in Dubrovnik, but during it, I broke down and checked my email at an Internet cafe because I was anxious of news about my sister’s pregnancy. I got that news, and it was bad, but we move on.

So, most of the times I’ve been without a computer have been related to travel and not having a computer accessible. In college I took a communications class about mass media. As an assignment, we were forced to not listen to the radio, watch TV, go to movies, or surf the Internet unless absolutely necessary for another course. It was a test on realizing how dependent we have become on mass media in our everyday lives. At first I didn’t have a problem, like most of my classmates, but halfway through it was really hard to keep away.

So, for the first week of August, I will be home and my computer will be calling my name, but I’m going to try and keep it off and do more things outside, even if it’s hot. While I’m at it, I will probably avoid the TV as well (and even harder task :)