AN EXPERIMENT IN UNPLUGGING

Imagine your life without a cellphone, online social networks or email. What would you do without the ability to text, tweet or post a status on facebook?

We’re looking for volunteers to unplug for 24 hours and share their experience on the Offline blog. We know it’s a paradox—an ezine asking readers to shut off the internet. But in the age of instant communication, with the constant barrage of technology that’s become the new normal, we hope to raise awareness of the benefits of slowing down, tuning out and turning inward.

So shut off that cellphone, log off the internet, and find a way to occupy yourself for a day. We suggest taking a hike at a local park, visiting friends or neighbors, or taking up a new hobby, such as vegetable gardening or salvage artistry. Then write a 500-word essay about your experience.

Submission Guidelines: The Fine Print

We are interested in personal stories, written as narrative in the first person point-of-view. By narrative, we mean that you should describe the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures of your experience. Describe specific moments in time with scenes and dialogue.

Some questions you might seek to answer in your essay are:

• What is your typical level of texting and internet use (hours per day spent online or texting)? Do you carry a smart phone? Are you plugged in around the clock?
• What were your thoughts going into the experiment? Were you nervous, excited, afraid?
• Have you ever given up texting or social networks before this experiment? If so, explain why.
• Do you think technology is crowding your life, or do you think you are able to manage your use of technology so that it doesn’t take over?
• Do you feel you can communicate more effectively by texting or posting than you can face-to-face?
• How often do you have face-to-face conversations? Daily? Multiple times daily? Or less frequently?
• What specific activities did you engage in while offline? How did you feel? Did your thoughts race to facebook or twitter? Were you able to focus on what you were doing, or did you obsess over how many text messages you were missing?
• At the end of the 24 hours, what feelings did you have about plugging back in?
• Describe any changes in your attitude toward technology-specifically texting and internet use—as a result of this experiment. Would you consider doing it again? Or did you feel it was a waste of time?

USE THE FORM BELOW TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT AND SUBMIT YOUR ESSAY:

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