No Wi-Fi, No Problem? A Lesson in Digital Detox

A few days ago, there was a power outage in my area due to a grid disturbance—and it was incredibly frustrating! My room in the boarding house was small and windowless, completely dark. I was at a loss for what to do. With my phone’s flashlight on, I started brainstorming ways to kill time:

1. Sleeping? My hair was still wet from the shower, and using the hairdryer was out of the question.
2. Reading? I could use my Kindle, but my myopia was already worsening, and I didn’t want to strain my eyes further.
3. Using my laptop? Sadly, I wasn’t responsible enough to charge it fully the night before.

I tried not to stare at my phone screen too much because of my earlier concern. Besides, I had to conserve its battery in case of an emergency—who knew how long the blackout would last? Feeling completely bored, I decided to just sit on my bed and… think. (My friend once joked that it was dangerous to let a girl think too much, but what other option did I have?)

However, my thinking turned out not to be as bad as I’d expected. Instead of channeling my overthinking side, I reflected on how much we rely on technology these days. Need to look something up for school? Google’s got your back. Want to chat with a friend on another continent? WhatsApp, iMessage, Line, and other messaging apps are available. In the mood for something fun while doing nothing? Scrolling through Instagram or TikTok is pretty much a way of life now. I didn’t realize how much we depend on this invisible force until the idea of several hours with no WiFi almost drove me nuts. How messed up does that sound?

Even after that realization, I still can’t get enough of the internet (and sadly, I’m pretty sure most of you can relate to this). If people decades ago read the news on paper, I read mine on Twitter (still refuse to call it ‘X’—sorry!). If they stopped playing board games because they were bored, I stopped because I found online games more interesting. People used to find so many exciting things to do in their spare time without needing an internet connection; now, I get easily uneasy when I see a ‘no signal’ icon on my phone.

I realize that the internet has helped us humans in so many ways—the invention of email is one of the best things to ever happen in world history—but I also think we shouldn’t let it get in the way of truly enjoying our lives. In the spirit of the upcoming new year, do you think we should make a resolution to have a ‘no social media’ day now and then? Do you think we can refrain from checking our friends’ updates on Instagram?