I apologise for the lateness of my detox diary. I have suffered from periods of illness that have affected my work commitments. This is a type up of the diary that I kept from the second to the sixth of April, detailing my experiences and the conclusions I took.
Day 1
The first day of my digital detox began well. My girlfriend, Ruth, is departing to Marrakesh this evening, but for now I have no need to contact anyone via phone, or no need to procrastinate on my laptop (frantically cleaning and packing instead). Already, after only a few hours awake, we both come to the conclusion that our morning has seemed longer and more productive without the distraction of digital media. What would have taken 4 hours only took 2, and we even have time for a cup of tea and some lunch before we leave for the airport.
With Ruth safely on the plane my detox became instantly harder, with no company to lead me away from boredom. I returned to my home in London and set about cleaning our bedroom and kitchen, both as a good house-mate and simply just to pass the time! My laptop has remained off for hours, as has my phone, and I have been more productive today than I have been in weeks.
It's 6 pm now, and Ruth is due to land in Morocco in only 20 minute time. This is my first challenge in regards to the detox, as without my mobile phone I will be unable to communicate with her at all. The 20 minutes pass and I relent, turning on my mobile phone to receive a text to let me know that she has arrived safely, and I reply in order to be nice and avoid being rude. After that, I turned my phone off and kept it that way for the remainder of the night. I'm tired from travelling so head straight to bed after a chat with my mum, no TV or Laptop use beforehand, and all in all today has been a good day!
Day 2
The second day began with my breaking my detox to turn on my mobile phone, contact with Ruth whilst holidaying in Morocco impossible without it, and after a text received and reply sent I turn off my phone once again. This highlights the positive elements of digital media, such as the ability to connect with people across the globe, and is evidence still of an increasing globalism
Being back home in Cardiff has given me an easier place to detox. With all of my friends living within a 10 minute walk from me there is no difficulty in finding people to call upon, and I remain abstinent from digital devices from the morning until the dark of night. When I return home at 10pm, I enter the living room to speak with my mum about our respective days and spend some quality time with her. As I walk into the room the TV is on, and although I explain to my mum the detox that I am undertaking , she has had an arduous day at work and is entitled to relax in front of the TV if she wishes. I remain for a conversation, the TV running in the background, and regardless of the negative implication of the loss of social groups to TV against the positives in terms of education and pleasure, I cannot help but feel that a longer detox would not be viable. Though I have tried my hardest, I have been subjected to bouts of media use either through choice or accident, and it seems impossible to live in such a digital age without digital use for very long.
Day 3
Again, my day begins with me breaking my abstinence to turn my phone, as the text conversation had between me and Ruth is vital for a continued connection whilst apart and at the same time vital to the knowledge of our respective good health and safety. It seems that for as long as she is away this is the routine in which we communicate. Routine is an important part in the regulation of everyday life, and communication must be regulated by routine in these situations. The detox is proving difficult, but in terms of laptop use or general procrastination it is enjoyable to have so much time with which to do the important things in ones day that cause stress when not completed. I have not used my laptop for 2 and a half days now, and not mindlessly watched TV to pass away the afternoon hours, and instead have been building a closer relationship with my family as well as being more productive in my help around the house and in my errands.
The afternoon and evening are still boring though, despite my happiness when thinking of my calm and productiveness. Without any media to waste away some hours I find my chores and errands completed at a much quicker pace, evidence that digital media affects our efficiency in the everyday. I also find myself less stressed, a normal occurrence in my everyday when errands take much longer than they should, and it it much welcome. Like I mentioned however, without these digital devices I have forgotten how to have fun without them. Puzzles, games, or reading a book become insignificant when presented with a TV or Laptop with which to indulge, but without them I struggle to find things to do and resort to leaving my house to find rescue from my boredom at a friends house. Our area is small, and as such it is void of anything to do. We go for walks, and talk about out problems etc, so I find it easy to escape digital media when with my friends. We remain out until late, procuring a mcdonalds, but I conclude that my experience at this fast food restaurant was steeped in digital media. From the TV advertising screens to the interactive ordering menu and even my debit card payment, escape from digital media in such a consumerist environment was impossible. Again, I am finding it increasingly difficult to abstain fully from something which is so deeply integrated into the everyday. I return home, knackered, and head straight for bed.
Day 4
Of course my day starts off as it has done for the last 2, my routine conversation with Ruth only possible through digital media. Today I am heading back to London, a 4 hour coach journey followed by an hour journey to my rented property, and despite the initial stumble with my mobile I have no need for digital media. I frantically pack, but much like my packing experience in day one I have more than enough time to complete it without need for panic. I make sure that I have everything I need and say my goodbyes.
The coach journey up was devoid of any digital devices, I normally sleep on these journeys to avoid the boredom of clock-watching. I arrive back in London and take the underground back home, but this is again impossible without digital devices; I top up my Oyster at an electronic card machine, and constantly check the digital clock to see when my trains are coming. I return home, tired from a day of travelling, and head to bed for my last day of my detox.
Throughout this experience, I have found it impossible to detach myself completely from digital devices. Relationships are now dependent on a form of instant communication that depends on digital media, as are intakes of pleasure or methods of procrastination. Furthermore, consumerist environments such as mcdonalds and the underground rely heavily on digital media to manage, inform and advertise. I conclude though that this detox has been helpful in forcing me to evaluate the effectiveness of the devices that I use and the necessity of them. Although my mobile phone seemed like a new necessity, the TV and laptop proved less so, a sign that the use of these media devices is mixed between wants and needs. Though I was unsuccessful in abstaining completely, what I did achieve I was proud of, and it has educated me on my dependence towards these devices.
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