Carol’s Summary:
In Portland, Oregon, 54 Lincoln High School students volunteered to participate in a technology fast, which meant turning off the Internet, video games, music devices and cell phones for the entire school week. English teacher, Jordan Gutlerner, came up with the challenge as a way to increase student awareness on how technological devices play a role in everyday life. He asked his students to use these five days of silence to question why it is they use their chosen devices and whether they need to continue using them when the fast ends.
On day three of the fast, one student reported she felt anxious being disconnected from social networking sites because she felt she was missing out on something. Others felt that silencing the buzz of technology gave them the opportunity to see new things in their daily rituals. At the end of the fast, Gutlerner said most of the students will probably go back to their normal usage. However, some did say they were logging off Facebook and MySpace for good, after learning it’s not always bad to be alone.
Article: Students at Portland’s Lincoln High School unplug, experience life without technology
For four days this week, Elise Cramer didn’t pick up her cell phone. The 17-year-old Lincoln High School senior didn’t check Facebook or turn on the television, either.
Read the full article at: oregonlive.com
