My Media Fast - doing the assignment

On November 6^th I had my media fast. I fasted from all unnecessary new media use. This meant no use of my phone, my computer, my TV and my radio. I had decided, that I really wanted to try and stick with my fast, so I notified my job and my parents beforehand, that I wouldn’t be reachable this day (unless in absolute emergencies). Other than that, I didn’t notify anyone, as I would like to just disappear and see what happened.

I got up at 7, and on a normal day, the first thing I do is turn on the television. This is on while I check my phone from messages, emails, news and Facebook-updates. It was really hard for me to just get up without turning on my TV or checking my phone. I had logged out from all social media platforms, but as I got out of bed, I heard that I got a text. This drove me crazy. I hated, that I knew that someone tried to contact me, and that it would be 24 hours before I had the chance to reply.

I went to the shower, and all I could think of while in there were the fact, that I couldn’t reply to (or read) the text I got. As I was getting ready for the day, I noticed how quite the apartment was. Normally I have my TV on, and sometimes this is muted because I’m also listening to music. This day was just totally quiet. However I finished getting ready in much less time than usually because there weren’t any distractions.

I spent the morning studying and at 11 I had to leave for work. I had decided that I would go without my phone (because it would be pointless to bring it as I couldn’t use it), and this was definitely the hardest part yet. Leaving my phone at my desk felt like going out onto the street naked. I cursed the whole way to the bus stop, because normally I would listen to music or podcasts, but that wasn’t an option today, and I was already bored. The 25 minutes bus ride felt like it took forever. At one point I was the only one in the bus that didn’t wear headphones, and that made me curse at the assignment again.

The four hours at my job flew by, and before I knew it I had to go home again. I decided that I wanted to do something else; because going home would definitely mean that I would be bored to death. So I went downtown to look around and maybe do some shopping. Walking around downtown I once again missed being able to listen to podcasts and music. I found myself getting really annoyed with people who wore headphones. I didn’t feel like they were paying any attention to their surroundings or were considerate of other people. However I experienced that the staff at the shops were much more smiling and accommodating than usually, and I wondered whether this was a result of me also being more smiling and accommodating towards them than usually when I’m wearing headphones and walking around shutting everything else out but my own thoughts and the music/podcasts.

I went back to my apartment at around 6 and made dinner first thing when I got home. Normally one of the first things I do is turn on the TV, but that wasn’t going to happen today. Once again the place was really quiet. None of my roommates where home, so I had nobody to talk to. I ate my food in complete silence. I struggled to resist my desire to go into my room and check my phone. But I didn’t do it. After dinner I studied some more, but I felt a bit tired, and I couldn’t concentrate properly. I played some solitaire with some cards, but that bored me too. Next I wrote a letter to a friend because I don’t like the fact that no one write letters anymore, and I know she’s really appreciate getting a real letter and this seemed like a good opportunity to do so. When I finished the letter, I picked up the fiction book I’m currently reading (A Clash of Kings), but which I’ve been neglecting due to a lot of readings for school. I read in that for a few hours and actually quite enjoyed that – though I was still really quite bored and missing my TV and my phone a lot. 

At 9.30 I decided going to bed. This was really early for me, but I just couldn’t think of anything else to do. I went to bed thanking God, that this was only going to last for 24 hours and that when I woke up, I could turn on my TV and check my phone. As I was drifting off to sleep, I got a text again, and it took all my strength to not pick up my phone and check it. But I didn’t, and I felt very proud that I lasted all day, without breaking my media fast. It was a tough day!

When I woke up the next day I felt like a child on Christmas morning. I was very excited, and I instantly grabbed my phone and checked it. I had texts from 2 people (2 from each), 15 emails, 1 Snapchat, 1 Facebook message and 2 Facebook notifications.