Being a mid-twenties wheelchair user, technology completely encompasses my life. From the charm and somewhat nosey tendencies of social media and networking websites, to medical devices which aid my daily routine, the age of modern technology is such a huge part of my existence. So, the idea of challenging this concept made my heart flutter, and with Scopes fundraising event to give it purpose and hopefully raise money for a fantastic cause, nothing could stop me from signing up.
But in actual fact, it wasn't the need for a detox that convinced me to join. It was purely the fact that I was physically able to challenge myself to do something different. When living with mobility restrictions, it can sometimes be difficult to try something new when life is loosely based around a routine. For some its medication, others it can be carers coming and going. Only recently I challenged myself to travel around 15 European countries in 4 weeks in my drive-from-wheelchair vehicle with my boyfriend, proving just what can be possible with preparation and determination, so this Digital Detox seemed a lot smaller in comparison! To me, the event felt like something we could do together, without having to take into consideration my disability for a change as the detox is mainly willpower and determination, of which I have bucket loads.
I, myself, am a self confessed social networking addict. My thumb will always gravitate to the Facebook App without a moments pause and I really don't always realise that I'm browsing the feed. Is it really an awful habit? I'm not convinced either way just yet, but I did believe that 48 hours without it might be torture. I'm happy to report, I was wrong.
Being the ever organised girlfriend I had prepared lots of work that "we" needed to do in the garden, whereby my boyfriend dug and I delegated from afar, but work got done in the rain and shine so by the end of the first day we earned a pub meal with my parents, which ended in a monster hangover. The second day, was a continuation of said monster hangover.
Coming back to the point, I really didn't miss the digital world at all. A few times I was curious who else was suffering from a night of drinking, who had seen who in the local nightclub or if somebody had reported that their newborn had chewed their own foot, but in general I wasn't missing out on social networking, television or even the computer where I can waste hour upon hour on Pinterest and Etsy (wait, scrap that, that time is never wasted).
What I did absolutely miss, is knowledge. Its astounding how much I and probably everyone else reading this rely on their smart phone to "quickly look something up", whether to settle an argument, find out what other film that actor is from, or work out what on earth you can make for dinner with the scraps in the fridge. I desperately missed being able to jot down ideas into my smart phone at a moments notice, or to find out some information about a product instantly. Having such a wealth of knowledge at my fingertips is something I could never appreciate before our Digital Detox, and my inquisitive mind certainly missed it. Not only this, but the physicality of having such a small but powerful device in my weakened hands allows me to continue this education independently, rather than struggle with books or require assistance.
Having a pocketful of knowledge is a wonderful thing, and I certainly won't be detoxing from it any time soon!