Assignment #8 (2009)
Posted by: heritage47 on: May 5, 2009
Well my friends, it’s over. As you may have read, GregT7 gave me his cell phone and ipod for the ten-day turnoff. Today, I walked into 7th period, handed his phone and ipod back to him, and asked, “Now what?”
He surprisingly took both pieces of techology and threw them in the waste bin. He said, “I don’t want this soma any more.” We all watched amazed as he returned to his seat. “I’m free, Mr. D,” he smiled, “I’m free.”
Wait, that wasn’t Greg; that was me. And it wasn’t an ipod and phone; it was my beard and long hair. And I didn’t smile and say, “I’m free;” no, I wept like a little baby all through the night.
Anyway, Greg is probably texting right now, in fact. And that is fine. But I am hoping his awareness of what he is doing is a bit expanded. GregT7, is it?
Here’s my final question for all of you: Now what? What have you learned about yourselves and about these technologies? How are you going to apply what you have learned to your life? Will anything change? Perhaps, it’s like a diet for your mind. Don’t just think about yourselves. Think also about your future children, if you hope to have them anyway. Might you limit their use of certain technologies? Why or why not?
Great job, class. I hope this was a worthwhile experiment for you. Take care of yourselves. You are all unique and wonderful people, and I have enjoyed sharing this year with you.
Mr. D
22 Responses to "Assignment #8 (2009)"
May 5, 2009 at 6:24 am
Well, since I didn’t truly make it I guess there’s not much of a huge issue,but I did still have some limits on certain things.
becasue of just how much more time I’ve been using to more productive means, I think I might try and keep some of those limits.
this past week the times that I did fail (like sunday) I set my wristwatch’s alarm to tell me when I’ve spend more than 1 or 2 hrs on an online video game or whatever (trust me, you can lose an entire day with a large enough game)
if I ever do have children (a.k.a. if this date-less nerd ever finds someone out there to spend the rest of his life with) I will indefinately keep this in mind
May 5, 2009 at 1:37 pm
i think i would limit the use of technology whenever I have kids of my own. I understand there are certain ages kids just really have no business with cell phones and ipods so i would at least make it to where they hit a certatin age. Not only a certain agem, but the maturity they have once they reach that age. Technology will only increase to “better” things so i want to be aware of the affect it has on other people.
May 5, 2009 at 2:16 pm
i learned alot from this 10 day trial, but to be honest i dont know if i will cut back now that it is over. i would like to say i will stop watching tv so much and call instead of text but i dont no. it is kind of like that goal assignment we did at the beginning of the year it would be nice to say that i have actually kept my word and pursued those goals…but i havent. as for my kids i hope they love the outdoors more then the computer, i hope they find books more interesting then the tv, and i hope they feel no need to block out the world with head phones. but then im sure my mom feels the same way.
p.s. yesterday when it was all over i texted my friend duffy, when she responded she said ‘wow its so weird not hearing your voice, ive gotten so used to you calling.’ i thought that was funny.
May 5, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Well after the conclusion of this tech turnoff, I now come to realize that my use of technology was more prolific than I thought. After watching a favorite t.v. show of mine, I noticed that it didn’t feel the same as before the assignment. I think that in the future, it would be wise to take a break every so often in order to feel like a human again and not like some robot in the brave new world. As for my children, I havn’t really thought that far ahead yet, but it could defenitely come into consideration.
May 5, 2009 at 3:19 pm
oh man, i feel like an entirely new person. what the hell did you do to me Mr D????
i rarely watch tv as it is, and i plan to keep up with that. movies don’t count as TV!!
but this past week i just got a new bike and i’ve been riding it around. i have been using my time to get in the excercise and outdoor time i needed. i haven’t played soccer in over a year now and i need this. besides, it pulls me away from sitting around or playing video games with my boyfriend or whatever. he rides with me too 
once i become a parent, i want my children to see the beauty of the outside world, instead of memorizing every corner of my house. i want them to be active and want to learn and i want them to turn away from becoming addicts of technology. i want them to sit down and eat dinner with me and talk, i want them to focus.
i’m stoked about life with a limited use of technology 
!
May 5, 2009 at 3:39 pm
I didn’t make it all the way, however I did realize how much I use technology. I think I would get more things done if I focused on other aspects of my life than technology so much. I think I will limit my time on the internet more this next year and we shall see how it works out.
May 5, 2009 at 9:31 pm
I plan to limit my use of technology and do more productive things with my time. I won’t eliminate my use of technology completely because I feel like it is an important and useful thing. I just want to make sure I don’t become dependent on it.
May 5, 2009 at 10:25 pm
This tech-turnoff has changed my views on certain technology,
That is for certain.
And yes, though I love the technology I use,
I am aware of what it can do to me and my generation.
That being said,
If I am to have children I do feel that when they’re young I will limit their usage of these technologies.
When I was young, all I wanted to do was play outside on my bike with my friends.
I want my children to want that too.
I don’t want lazy kids on my hands and wonder what went wrong.
I’ll teach them restraints, I’ll show them that there is fun outside of technology.
I’m glade I experienced this tech-turnoff because I feel I’m more aware of my technologies.
It was a great experience and I’ve learned much from it.
And every time I text or blog on MySpace and Facebook,
In the back of my mind I can see Mr. D warning me of the Brave New World that may dawn upon us.
It’s a friendly reminder that one day technology may go too far.
Thanks Mr. D for this unit.
May 5, 2009 at 10:33 pm
P.S.
I’ll miss this class blog.
It’s nice seeing everyone’s opinion and seeing what Mr. D has to say.
I wish we could do this over the summer!
I’ll miss you, Mr. D!
May 6, 2009 at 12:03 am
Nah, I did not make it all the way I mean I slipped alot haha. =( But the tech-turnoff has made me realize how much technology affects our lives and dumbs us down. I mean there are so many other things we could be doing that actually benefit to us. The reason why I tend to use technology in the first place is because I’m either tired or lazy so it will be hard to get around that but I’m going to try yay =)
May 6, 2009 at 2:41 am
I’ve always thought that I wasn’t one of those tech-obsessed people. or at least I thought I’d never become one, but alas, I am. It was so hard to g without texting fo 10 days, I gave in for three days but I was able to stay away from it for the rest of the 10 days, along with all the other technology. This entire experience has made me realize just how much I have become addicted to technology and now I am much more aware of how much I really do use. I probly will go back to my old habits, but I will most certainly make sure that I go take a walk once in a while or go outside to read in my hammock instead of staying inside my room with the blinds drawn like a vampire, though I do enjoy reading about them.
In the future, I will definitely try to teach my children the value of learning to balance their lives, to both use the technology that will no doubt be a huge part of their lives but also to see the beauty of nature and books and good old imagination. Once in a while I might just shut off the TV, video games, and computer, and force them to go play outside like I used to when I was a kid. Those are the best memories I have. I remember just running around pretending I was Pocahantas, or catching snakes in my backyard, or pretending I was off in some other world and my dogs as my companions. I cherish those memories and I want my children to be able to have times like that to look back on when they’e older and are about to enter the big, bad world like I am about to.
May 6, 2009 at 3:23 am
To be frank I don’t think that I will stop using my technologies, in fact I might go even further into that nice little world. At least until I can find some other means to relieve stress in such ridiculous quantities. I tired everything from a deep meditation, to riding 56 miles. Nothing was able to relieve my stresses at the end of the week. The mere fact that I can unwind so quickly once I get home and just melt into my recliner, start playing a mindless game, or watching some of my anime, its liberating. I can definitely say that I gained a lot from this experience. I noticed that I have almost become 100% dependent upon technology. But in some ways I’m fine with that, right now I can be like every other American. (kinda) Vegetative state and All.
To put it bluntly, I’m happy with my life as it is right now. I can speculate later in life, but right now, I am merely making it as good as I can with the materials that I have been given. ( I feel like MacGyver)
May 6, 2009 at 3:28 am
I have learned quite a bit from attempting this technology turnoff. Even though I failed I like to think I made it because I cut back a lot. I didn’t turn on my t.v or xbox the whole time till about 9P.M which I then turned it on and decided why am I doing this? I’m almost there and turned them off. I also couldn’t help reading my text messages but I texted back very little. I think what I have learned is just I kinda see what technology does to our lives more so than before. I used to think it was just t.v and commercials but now I realize it’s everything. I think I will apply what I have learned by thinking twice about using technology and instead read a book like I used too. If anything will change, I cannot tell until I find out. I do feel I will restrict my kids use of technology. I used to want to just because of the violent things and how I feel they aren’t good seeing how I was raised, and now I definately will so their minds can stay “uncorrupted” for at least a while longer than most and hopefully not as “corrupted.” Thanks for this experience Mr. D, I greatly enjoyed it.
May 6, 2009 at 3:45 am
Though I did not completely make it the entire way, I did realize how much I used technology, and how much I don’t even need to. I think that I will try to limit the amount I use these technologies, but I do know that I will be trying to go back to my old habits- eventually, that is. However, I will attempt to limit my use as much as I can so that I can see the rest of the world through my own eyes instead of through my tv screen.
May 6, 2009 at 2:23 pm
After doing the tech turn-off, I think I will definitely try to not let technology control my life so much. Don’t get me wrong, technology is very very useful. I just don’t think some of it–texting, tv, Facebook–are all that beneficial. With that said, I’ll probably still use all three of those things
May 6, 2009 at 3:12 pm
I thought that overall this assignment was a good one. Even though I did not follow it strictly, it got me thinking about a lot of things.
In the beginning of the tech turn off, my Xbox 360 got a RROD, which in other words, means it broke, and I need to send it in to get it fixed, which will take a month or more. And this whole time, I haven’t missed it. I used to have myspace sophomore year, and realized what a waste that was, so I got rid of that.
(By the way, it’s amazing how many steps there are to deleting a myspace account! First you have to find it buried in your account options, and then you have to send a confirmation email, and then confirm back on myspace, and then another email, and then, they send you another email encouraging you to come back.)
I did text out of convenience, as it’s much easier to send 1 text out to multiple people, and find who wants to go snowboarding for example, then calling everyone individually.
I did use my computer, partially because I do make some money online, and through interest in my computer, I know what I want to do in the future.
May 6, 2009 at 6:20 pm
I think that I will try to use my time more wisly. I need to spend less time on the computer and more time doing things that I need to get done. The computer eats up a lot of my free time. I would like to try to spend that time doing something else this summer.
May 6, 2009 at 9:08 pm
i have come to realize with this turn off that i was letting technology rule my life. i was spending way too much time with it. so now i plan to limit my tech time and instead hang with my family or do the homework i have been putting off. i think in the end it will make me a more productive person.
May 7, 2009 at 1:30 am
I have learned that I really dont need my phone attached to my hip at all times. Im trying to cure myself from my texting disease and this turnoff helped a lot!
May 7, 2009 at 1:31 am
Oh, and Cait is right! Homework comes before wasting time on the computer
May 7, 2009 at 4:10 am
Took me a little while, but here’s my response. I’d say since Tech-Turnoff officially ended, I have used technology a little less, but I can guarantee I won’t stop using it, or being hooked on it for that matter. I find it useful in my everyday life. Mostly when I’m bored, but when you’re bored, you do the things that entertain you, and TV, Computer, iPod, ect. are what entertain me.
It’s hard to judge about my children and technology. For all I know, they may destroy the public school building by 2030 (estimate), when my children would go to school. They may depend on technology to tie their shoes for all I know. While it’s always good to do things the old-fashioned way, if they do change for this direction, then we pretty much have to sit back and let it happen. So it’s way too early to see how much my child will need tech to be able to see if he’d need it or not. Although I’m leaning towards the fact that he’ll need it.
Thanks Mr. D, it was worthwhile challenge.
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Heritage Tech Turnoff April 2009
May 5, 2009 at 4:27 am
After pursuing this tech turnoff, I think I will cut back on my use of tecnology. Before I did this assignment I already lacked the use of tecnology all the time. This assignment has showed me that I do use my phone to text and tv to watch pointless television shows way to much and I plan to cut back a lot. I am going to Mines next year and I am pretty sure I am not going to bring a tv so idt should be fairly easy to not use a lot of tecnology when not needed. I will work to play more board games or read more books and enhance my intelligence rather than wasting my time using tecnology at unnecessary times. Limiting tv and text messaging will be the biggest challenge though, even though its not that big, because they are the only tecnologies I ttruly do over use, and its not like I’m extremely over using them.