During the Unplugged project, we all focused on a different subject. These are relections on the individual aspects of the project.


The area of my idenity I focused on was Self-Concept.  Before going my two weeks unplugged, I was already aware that social media was not a big aspect in my life.  I didn’t have a smart phone that was an easy link to current social media technology and would often be asked, ‘Why don’t you have a smart phone?’ which I always replied with ‘Never needed it.’  My current Self-Concept wasn’t influenced by social media, so going two weeks unplugged gave me more time reading or socializing rather than wasting my time on the internet.  After my two weeks, I found that my Self-Concept went unchanged and if anything it enforced who I thought I was without social media.


The part of my identity I journaled on was my social life. Jumping into this project, I had to quit cold turkey all of the tools I took for granted, twitter, skype, text messages, and others. Immidiately I felt lost, what am I supposed to do today, and how do I get ahold of people? It's amazing that we take these services for granted seeing that most of these haven't even exisited for ten years. So it put me in the position to realize that if I actually wanted to hang out with friends, I would actually have to try. Meeting up with people caused a lot of unnessisary driving, but made me value the time more. I made a real distinction be the converstions I had with people in real life and online. I honestly think it meant more. My social life changed a lot during the Unpluuged Project, but I think it was for the better.  

I talked about my social life as well. I feel like not much changed except for the fact that I didn't wait around for people to do stuff. I just made up my mind and went ahead with plans. My apartment door was always open so people just walked right on in and told me to do stuff. It helps when your roommates share the same friends so they tell you what plans are and such. I really didn't have problems with my social life. If I wasn't consumed with homework, I would be with my roommates.

My focus was on productivity. I noticed that when I didn't have the luxury of using social media and my phone for a distraction, I would get my work done faster and more efficiently than I did before. As well as this, I also noticed that I would plan ahead for bigger projects that were due by doing smaller homework assignments early. This is a change that I somewhat kept after the project ended. I try to plan ahead for hard weeks and spending that extra time I have to read and get other things done that I need to.


My focus was productivity as well. Throughout this process I noticed that I was able to focus not only on school but goals I have as well. Rather than wasting my time sitting on Facebook endlessly scrolling, I was able to dedicate time to my reading and my other basic things I needed to do in order to be ready for school as well as being a functioning adult. I realized by not having these distractions I was more prepared regarding my school work and this term has really gone well for me regarding my academics. This process was difficult because all of these technologies are very much part of our lives, but it was refreshing to step away from them and live a unplugged life.