Engineering Communications



Response #12—A Day without Technology5/3?(or anytime before)One of the best ways to learn about the impacts of technology on the people who use it is to stop using it. For this assignment, you have one task: unplugging from the technologies that keep you connected to the outside world. That’s right. No cell phone* and no TV and no internet.* For a whole day.**?Can you do it? The effort is not in the actual success of your endeavor, but in the way you communicate your effort. More on the details below. But first: the goal. I want you to seriously and in good faith undertake to unplug from your technologies for one day. No texting, no email, no internet, no google searches, no snapchat, no instagram, no chatting, no Netflix, no phone calls… with key caveats.*As you are undertaking this adventure (or is it: enduring this torture), keep in mind some questions:What are its effects on relationships? ?Does it undermine conviviality (i.e. communal friendliness)? ?In what ways might it bring people together and in what ways might it erect barriers between people? Does it affect our way of seeing and experiencing the world? ?Is its main goal to drive commerce—in what ways might that be good or bad??To what extent does it redefine reality? ?Does it affect a sense of time and history? ?What is its potential to become addictive? ?How might you change your use of technology to make yourself happier, more productive, more social, etc.?As you unplug, keep notes on what you are thinking (using paper, of course), what you notice, how the world might be different if you did not have these technologies, or used them only sparingly. Think about what you might be missing without the technologies, but also think about what you might gain by being unplugged. Talk with other people about what they think (in person, of course). If you slip up, be honest and make a note of the situation. Again, the complete abstention of these forms of technology is not necessarily the key, but your experience of their impacts on your day-to-day life.Once you have completed your day, you will be creating some form of description to present your experience. There are no specific guidelines—you could write a story or essay, do an interpretive dance, give a presentation, make a computer game, or perform a stand-up comedy routine. Whatever form you choose, I want to see a thoughtful approach to the experience (and I reserve the right to ask questions). If you do an artistic approach, please also submit a short description of your ethical thinking along with your song, drawing, poem, rap, dance, or painting.*CAVEAT: you should endeavor to not use your technology, but you should not endanger your safety or your progress in school. If there is an emergency, call 911 or the police. If you need a ride home from 6th Street, call someone. If you need to call your work, please do so. If you need to print homework, fine. Just make note of the ways you use technology, and while you are on your phone or on the computer, resist the temptation to check non-essential websites.**NOTE: Some people find that shrugging off technology for a day is no problem. In that case, you might consider undertaking a challenge that addresses a specific form of technological abstention. You could go without video games for a week. Or you could ban youtube from your study time for a month. Or you could cut out Facebook (or another service) if you suspect that technology does more harm than good in your life. ................
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