Imagining Life Unplugged

Community Manager — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:41:00 GMT

Since its premiere way back in 1989, MTV Unplugged has featured popular musicians performing acoustic versions of their electric repertoire (like this moving classic from Eric Clapton). I find the idea of unplugging to reconnect with the heart and soul of what we do and who we are very appealing.

But, it is also hard to imagine how this appealing idea can become a reality. Whether or not we are digital natives, many of us spend a huge amount of time tethered to our computers, smartphones and e-readers.

To give you a sense of things, according to a recent report, the average U.S. internet user spends about 68 hours online and visits nearly 2700 websites each month. We are also prolific smartphone users. So prolific that professors at M.I.T.'s Sloan School of Management have studied the affects of Blackberry overuse . Even the mainstream media alerts us to signs of smartphone addiction.

So, assuming we want to (and that is a big assumption), how do we make the break and unplug from technology - even for a little while? A post from the productivity blog Zen Habits offers a roadmap of sorts by detailing these 3 Ways To Claim Your Life Back:

Time yourself
Plan specific non-computer activities
Uninstall and remove unnecessary programs

You can also find some practical tips in this article on taking a vacation from speed and noise. Among the suggested escapes are:

Using foot power to get around
Setting no appointments, schedules or deadlines
Playing games
Reading books

We would love to field some real world tips and tools to share with everyone here. So, please let us know how you unplug from the technology in your life.

by Carly Fadako

Beyond Folders : communication, unplugged, tecnology

Imagining Life Unplugged