Turn the Internet off

Checking my email has become increasingly simple. Last December I bought a smart phone. Now I am able to check my email with a swipe of my finger. I can see who wants me as soon as they have sent the email. Notifications of missed class, additional readings or changed assignments come with the expectation of an immediate response. I have a nagging feeling of missing something extremely important coming in via email at all times. I thought that maybe this was just me, but after spending a few days with 15 Princeton students and no Internet, I think it might be a symptom of our general dependence on Internet. At first, a couple of us commiserated about the strange feeling of disconnect, but then thought better of that complaint and enjoyed the snow.

The Internet is a fantastic tool. With family and friends all over the world, the internet is a great way to connect. It is also an invaluable research instrument. But at the same time, it is frightening how much we depend on it. When I told people that not only was I going to have almost no Internet access for a week, but that I intended to get some thesis work done, they laughed. How could one possibly do work without the Internet? What about Google or Wikipedia? How could one possibly enjoy having no connection to the outside world? Well, after trying it, I promise it is possible and extremely liberating.

At first, it was difficult. I felt a bit concerned that my email would explode with important messages or that my thesis would fall apart as breaking news made the books that I had taken out from the library obsolete. But after the first two days, it was relaxing. I woke up in the morning and talked with friends at breakfast, instead of checking my email. I worked with more focus, having no concern that anyone was attempting to contact me, and did not have to deal with that pesky little notification of an incoming message. I took the time to delve more deeply into the books I had taken from the library, and the articles I had printed. Perhaps it sounds like I am opposed to technology, or outdated, but for me it was extremely liberating. Perhaps that is because, as a function of it being Intersession, there wasn’t that much happening anyway, and professors were not sending too many urgent emails. But there has got to be a way to use the Internet and not feel bound by it.

So now, as I reenter the World Wide Web and the United States, and with that, my tendency to be connected at all time, I wonder how we as students can moderate our Internet usage, or at least not feel hampered by it. There are many thought experiments, or articles written by people who went a week without Internet, or a week without a phone. Though these are interesting case studies, I think that the important step is not throwing the baby out with the bath water. The Internet is a useful tool, and perhaps essential for students, but that does not mean that we cannot find a way to balance our use of it. Perhaps we could all benefit from a brief hiatus from the Internet everyday, or every week, but it is unsustainable for us to each entirely disconnect for a long period of time. Perhaps a better plan would be to find a way to make “Internet free” pockets in our daily lives. For example, I plan on keeping my phone off during meals and only checking my email a number of times a day. This way I am still accessible, but not constantly thinking about my email. I hope that this will force me to tune in more carefully to those around me, and even limit the stress of constantly responding to emails. I know this will be difficult, but I hope that if we can all find a way t o moderate our Internet dependence, we can in turn make it easier for each other to connect face to face.

Kerry Brodie is a Near Eastern Studies major from Potomac, Ma. She can be reached at kbrodie@princeton.edu.