As teens growing up in the 21st century, we are constantly surrounded by technology. I wondered what it would be like to live “tech-free” for five days. So, I decided to put it to the test. For my challenge, I eliminated all recreational technology use– meaning no phone, no tablet, no computer, no TV, no Netflix and no social media of any kind. I felt like I was going completely off the grid.

DAY 1:

As I woke up for day one of my “tech-free” week, I plugged my phone in and waited for it to turn on to check notifications. Habit got the best of me. I was off to a rough start. As the day went on, I tried to keep myself busy with school work, but knowing that my phone was unchecked and in my backpack was too much. Halfway through the day I had to move my phone into my locker in order to eliminate the temptation. After school, I had nothing to procrastinate with so I dove into my homework. After 2 hours worth of homework, I had nothing else to do. Giving up my phone and Netflix was one thing, but I couldn’t even watch regular TV. I sat for a little while and listened in on the eighth grade drama that my sister was talking about. I reorganized my closet for 4 hours and read a book before bed. I wondered how the rest of the week would go if I was already bored after day one.

DAY 2:

By the time day two came around, I felt crabby and out of the loop. Every time I walked down the hallway or sat in a classroom, people using their phone became much more obvious to me. Every time a friend was on Twitter or SnapChat, I tried to look over their shoulder and see what was going on. When I got home, my sister told me that if I wanted to cheat I could and she wouldn’t tell anyone. I thought about it, but never cracked. Most of my free time was spent reading The Great Gatsby for AP Lit. Needless to say, I wasn’t behind on my reading anymore.

DAY 3:

Waking up on day three, I had accepted my fate of being tech-free. I no longer felt the itch to check my phone, and I felt well-rested for the first time in a long time. Before bed, instead of looking at a dimly lit screen, I had read a book, and it’s amazing what a difference it makes. I continued to read books to pass the time away, and amazingly, when you read, time flies pretty quickly. I also spent some time outside because it was so nice out.

DAY 4:

Even though it was rainy and dreary outside when I woke up on day four, the weather could not bring me down. I was well-rested and in a great mood. I didn’t twitch anymore when a phone buzzed and no longer craved to see what had recently happened over social media. I was in a good mood. As crazy as it sounds, being disconnected made me feel good. I was sleeping better and didn’t feel the constant distraction of the internet sneaking up on me.

DAY 5:

At the beginning of the week, I had prayed for day five to arrive quickly, but by the time I had reached the last day of my challenge, I wasn’t as excited as I thought I’d be. I actually didn’t even think about it being day five until my friends notified me and asked me if I happy to be almost done. Don’t get me wrong: I was excited to get everything back the next day, but I also enjoyed being disconnected for the week. I had been distraction-free and found myself enjoying it.

As I woke up Saturday morning, I followed my usual routine that I had before my tech-free week. I plugged in my phone and was instantly sucked in by everything that I had missed.

I learned a lot during that week, and if you haven’t done it before, try your own tech-free week. It helps clear your mind and forces you to use your brain and be creative.