The No-Internet Challenge

Hi everyone!

So, I had a radical idea today, and I honestly have been feeling this way for a while. Do you think the internet has helped or hindered us?

For me personally, I remember what life was like without the internet. I am going to try to go back in my time machine here in my little room, and disconnect from everything on the internet until Monday morning when I have to report in for my schoolwork.

So I am taking everything off, no phone apps, no streaming, no Alexa, no computer, no laptop, no tablet, NOTHING.

Just me, my stereo, some books, some TV, DVDs, maybe some playstation and some art. What do you guys think? Think you can do the challenge too?

Here's my blog post on the subject in case you want to give it a read:

The No Internet Challenge

See you guys on Monday!

Wish me luck!

Good Luck!

All my music and tv is over the Internet now so I’d be hard pressed to try it, but I wish you luck

I think the internet has hurt me but I have tried to give it up before and it is just impossible. There are so many things that are necessary in a day to do on the internet, I just don't see how I can give it up totally. My best goal would be just to reduce the time. But then I notice... I just replace the time with other things (such as Netflix).

No TV.....internet is my means of communicating. I research information over the internet....helps me fix things around my farm.

Internet has a wonderful purpose in my life. Not giving that up

Hi everyone!

Thanks for all the well wishes and good lucks. This weekend away from the internet was fabulous! I drew pictures, colored, wrote, watched DVDs, read a fantastic book, and just enjoyed myself. It was a very freeing and eye-opening experience. I had enough discipline to not open any phone apps, didn't stream anything and did not turn on any computer or laptop the whole weekend.

Just to be clear, I have no intention of boycotting the internet. This was an experiment, and a radical thought I had in my head. This all about a personal journey, and about freeing myself from the chains of something that we have all been a slave to.

I realize we do NEED the internet as a tool and as a resource for our livelihoods, (the point that eskielover made), that's not what I was talking about. I was talking about a world where we used the internet as a tool, not a distraction to waste time.

All in all, my experiment was a total success. I had one of the best weekends I have had in my entire life, and it was just so much fun to actually experience a simpler time for myself.

I suggest you all give it a shot one weekend. Make sure you get all your work and schoolwork done and see if you can go a whole weekend without any kind of internet. See what happens, challenge yourself, you may find the whole experience as empowering as I did.

Interesting timing of this thread. I just returned from four nights in the wilderness camping and had no internet for the duration. In fact, there wasn't even cellular phone service. I can tell you being unable to call if an emergency arose left me feeling really vulnerable. Whatever did I do not just before I had internet (1994) but before I had a cellphone (yeah I was late to the party in 2010). It didn't seem to matter to me to be out of touch. Phone calls would have to wait until I got home and checked my call display (and answering machine before that). If making a call was really that important then one had to hunt down a payphone which were not hard to find. Young people didn't have phones - that was what the receptionist at the school was for, to relay calls from parents. And life didn't come to a stand-still. You didn't have an expectation of immediacy for things either. People actually went out and did things together. Kids actually played outside. They were fitter too, not the dumpy pudgy sort you so often see today. I honestly think we were a hell of a lot healthier emotionally and physically.

But holy moly did I ever feel naked being so out of touch for 5 days. Ironically, now that I am home and back on the grid I haven't been in such a rush to get back online. Just a cursory glance here and there, here included.

I think being off the grid for a bit was a good thing then.

Lady Shadow, you really ARE Bat-Man!

It is difficult to totally go off the internet for too long and less time on is definitely nice. It does seem healthier to limit time on the internet similar to limiting time spent watching tv. What I really enjoy about the internet is researching information and topics I’m interested in.

I couldn't imagine doing this.

good luck!

I couldn't imagine having gone more than the five days. I love the outdoors. In fact, I would gladly live in a log cabin hauling water and chopping firewood; BUT, it must have an internet connection.