My 48 Hour Fast

My 48 Hour Fast

I knew this was going to be tough for me.  I believe I've fallen prey to an electronic dependence that, in my mind, only others have.  Each night as I go to bed I do one last check in with the digital world: Facebook, Email, To Do's  top stories, sports scores and my calendar of events for tomorrow are all computed into my brain as I mentally close my day.  I then ritualistically place my iPhone and iPad into their designated place is if tucking in a child for the night.  

I believe a huge side effect I'm experiencing as a result of my iPhone-iPad-toting life, is the inability to have a traditional work/life balance. It makes it hard for me to fully switch off at the end of the day. It's not work life / home life anymore, It's just... life.  A few times I've attempted to go to sleep without knowing where one of my electronic children are, but I toss and turn until the turmoil for resolution pulls me out of bed in a cold sweat.  Misplacing a charge cable is like loosing a child's binky, I know how important it is to them, so to be safe I buy extra.


Day one started off great.  I felt a sense of empowerment as I slid my devices in a drawer and shut down my iMac.  Knowing where they were, and that they would be waiting for me at the end of my fast, give me great comfort.  I knew that as long as I kept myself busy, I could avoid the digital yearning to be connected.  And busy I was.  I cleaned the garage, tuned up the kids bikes, washed the car and cooked an amazing meal all before the kids got home from school.  "This is great!" I remembered thinking.  I credited my time efficiency on the clearing of my schedule to preform the digital fast.  As I reflect on it now, I realize the only thing I cleared was my time on devices.  

As my day winded down, I finished some reading for school and took the time to tuck in all of my children into bed.  I was slammed by the realization of just how much time I spend in front of digital displays.  In my justificative thoughts, I spend my screen time out of necessity for my career and school, but I have a bright recollection on all my wasted time on social media, streaming video and web surfing. 

I had no idea that this disruption could have such a physical as well as a psychological impact on my body.  That night, after just 24 hours into the electronics fast, I felt sick.  I was going through withdrawals of being connected, while at the same time, being totally frustrated at the emptiness I've had in my life.  All the wasted time that has gotten me nothing but a pile of broken dreams and fat belly.  An emptiness filled with time wasting media.


Day two began with confessions to my wife about the impact of the previous day.  I told her about the personal commitments I'd made to myself during the sleepless night.  I went to my iMac to jot down all of the things that were swirling around in my head.  Funny, it was powered off... then I got it.  Even my commitment for change and self development revolved around the media screen.  "Wow,"  I said looking at my wife.  She gave me that look she give our kids when she knows they have learned something powerful.  I walked over to the bookcase and pulled out my journal, and blew off the dust.  This was where I used to place my goals, dreams and aspirations   The last entry 2003.  In it I wrote about my excitement of getting a new laptop.  How ironic that was my last entry.

Everyday I am faced with the challenge of monitoring my children's media time.  They would spend endless days with media if I would let them.  However, countless times they've interrupted me on my device to ask if they can have their iPods yet.  Apparently I'm the epitome of hypocrisy.  I now know that I get to place the same restrictions on myself as I do my kids.  The lure of the device is seductive.  Applications are enticing  and Justification is boundless.  Perhaps if I control my media diet, who knows, maybe I'll have time for a food diet.