Friday Feature: Life Unplugged

Want to be calmer, more productive and more creative?

Turn off your phone.

In her article, "Stop Letting Modern Distractions Steal Your Attention," Anna Goldfarb discusses the benefits of being inaccessible -- at least from time to time -- in a world that increasingly values 24-7 access. And, as someone who gets her best ideas in the shower, I found myself nodding along with the piece (which includes an explanation of why we get our best ideas in the shower).

Don't get me wrong. I love my phone. Ditto my MacBook and my iPad. Yet every week, when the usage statistics update, I cringe a little. I can't help but wonder what else I could have been accomplishing in all of those hours spent scrolling through social media or playing silly games late at night on my iPad.

Some of my online time is legitimate. I post six blogs a week and the courses I teach not only have an online interface but also require email contact with students and other staff members.

And yet....

A few semesters ago, I required my students to unplug fully -- not only no cell phones, but no laptops, tablets or other electronic devices -- during class unless we were using electronics for an in-class activity. I do the same, keeping my phone tucked in my bag most days or, if I've pulled it out to check campus emails for attendance purposes, face down on the podium. I'm not thoroughly unplugged, I guess, since I use PowerPoints in class, but during the time I'm teaching, my focus is fully on the material and at the students sitting in front of me and I ask the same from them in return.

And a funny thing happened. Discussions improved. More questions were asked. I actually saw the whites of their eyes, even during those weeks when the whites of their eyes were a bit bloodshot from lack of sleep.

Does every student comply 100% of the time? Of course not. But do I have fewer students whose eyes dart to a classmate's laptop screen to see what they're watching on Netflix while I'm teaching?

Yep.

japyassu via Pixabay

Our electronics are a marvelous tool, but it's so easy for them to train our brains to seek out patterns that short circuit critical thinking, creativity and long-term focus, not to mention social interaction. While I'm not ready to give up my phone for days at a time, short-term unplugging sounds like good thing to try, especially with so much evidence for the benefits of doing just that.

And perhaps a weekend is the perfect time to give this experiment a try.