Pennsylvania’s Harrisburg University of Science and Technology will be banning social media from students for 1 week, to allow them to realize how becoming disconnected from social media effects their daily lives. Per Mashable, the students will be forbidden from using Twitter, Facebook, instant messaging and any other online communication except for e-mail.
To me, I know I would not be able to stay disconnected for 1 whole week. At times, it can be great to take a breather and not have access to a computer or phone, but I feel like I’m missing out on a lot of information. I enjoy following Twitter each day to stay up-to-date on relevant topics.
Would you be able to disconnect from the social media space for 1 week and only use email? How would you cope?
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I went to Mexico for a week, and it was awesome. I did not have an international plan on my phone, and left the computer at home. The first couple days, I itched to check my social sites, but by day three I was happy not looking at anything digital. Sketching in a notebook, taking photographs with analog cameras… It was a breathe of fresh air. I love social media, and I love all the connections I have made, all the friends I talk to, etc… but yeah, every once and a while it is nice to turn it off and just be for a bit…
(I think once a year, for a whole week, is good for me though…)
Thanks for the comment, Jake. I’m with you, I love those vacations where you can disconnect every once in a while. It felt refreshing to not use a phone or computer when we were in Mexico, and it was like seeing my long-lost child when we got back in the states.
Does disconnecting also involve the camera and photo editing apps on the iPhone? I definitely can’t live without that:) I know you’re in the same boat.
I recently took a trip abroad and my blackberry was stolen. I had no phone, text, BBM, email or facebook access at my fingertips for 9 days. I found it extremely difficult the first 48 hours, but ultimately got through it. Although I did log on to facebook once a day from my laptop, I no longer had the instant access to view my friends status updates & news feeds and I couldn’t update my status on a whim, like I usually do from my blackberry. It was tough, but towards the end of my trip I enjoyed being “somewhat” disconnected. I did still had my husband’s phone to text or BBM with friends who were traveling with us.
It’s definitely good to disconnect from social media for a period of time. But can you remember life before twitter & FB?
Thanks for the input, Jennifer. We all always find ways to cheat:) I can’t imagine life without Twitter or Facebook. It’s a great way to stay connected with friends and network with other professionals. I would have no idea what my family was doing without Facebook and I wouldn’t be able to network with great professionals in my field if there wasn’t Twitter.
My personal connection network would be much smaller if there wasn’t Twitter or Facebook.
NO! NEVER! I always have a camera with me, that one doesn’t change for me. Part of my relaxation and disconnect involves photography… just a different kind. Sometimes I try and mix it up a little and only use analog media though… so sometimes that does involve no iPhone or digital camera, but then I will have an analog camera in hand…