Support NeoGAF

[Bragr]

I have always felt that these things aren't as fun and rewarding as we think they are, but since we are so juiced on it, we can't experience everyday things as well as we should. It's not really that games and the internet are so damn fun, it's more that we are fucked by the ease-of-use and constant addicting loop. We tell ourselves things like "it gets me through the day, it helps me mentally", but this is the addiction speaking.

Our brains are hijacked by a never-ending loop of impulses fed through our smartphones, TV, computers, and consoles. It affects every part of our personality and behavior.

I have been fascinated for a while about removing myself completely from this loop, no computer, no games, no TV, no smartphone apps, disconnecting from it all for a while, to see how it will change me and if it can help me perform better in things that will help me long term. I tried a few times, and honestly, it was miserable, boring as fuck, and I only lasted a few days.

But I know someone who did this for 2 months, and he said that after the first 2-3 weeks, everything you find boring right now will become just as interesting and fun as playing games or whatever you do online. That we are so juiced up by technology that we cheat ourselves of living in a manner that will help us in the long term.

So.

Anyone here that has gone a long period of time in this manner, completely disconnected from the modern loop of technology?

 

[nush]

Hands up who's been to prison.

 

[Vagswarm]

Not since I was a kid. We used to ride bikes, hang out, play with toys, go to roller rinks. Otherwise technology was always at the forefront. Even with older crowds, we'd play games and watch movies in our off-time from partying and going out, on top of constantly texting this person and the other. There was always a focus on getting quality entertainment in some form or another.

I used to live with a drug dealer, and about the only thing he did other than get high, drunk, and laid was play Dreamcast. Everyone I knew always played games and watched movies and used the phone. Most of the experiences I had with games was because of other people.

 

[synchronicity]

I've considered this myself oftentimes. I have removed myself from the digital matrix a few times, but not permanently obviously. What you say is true about the "loop" though. It's all designed to be a reinforcing set of interactions due the immediacy of input/feedback. Did Skynet already awaken?

I've had this fantasy of moving to a very remote area and living completely off-grid for a long time. The idea of living with minimal electricity, close to nature, the crackle of the fire, the breeze through the leaves, the candlelight, reading real books, growing my own food, that parasympathetic loop. I know I'd ultimately be happier/more fulfilled, but I'm admittedly bound to the matrix at the moment as well.

 

[dr_octagon]

Hands up who's been to prison.

Prison Mike

 

[haxan7]

Hands up who's been to prison.

I wouldn't tell you if I was.

 

[SirKicksalot]

But I know someone who did this for 2 months, and he said that after the first 2-3 weeks, everything you find boring right now will become just as interesting and fun as playing games or whatever you do online. That we are so juiced up by technology that we cheat ourselves of living in a manner that will help us in the long term.

Imagine not having the mental fortitude to enjoy both at the same time lol

 

[StormCell]

I have always felt that these things aren't as fun and rewarding as we think they are, but since we are so juiced on it, we can't experience everyday things as well as we should. It's not really that games and the internet are so damn fun, it's more that we are fucked by the ease-of-use and constant addicting loop. We tell ourselves things like "it gets me through the day, it helps me mentally", but this is the addiction speaking.

Our brains are hijacked by a never-ending loop of impulses fed through our smartphones, TV, computers, and consoles. It affects every part of our personality and behavior.

I have been fascinated for a while about removing myself completely from this loop, no computer, no games, no TV, no smartphone apps, disconnecting from it all for a while, to see how it will change me and if it can help me perform better in things that will help me long term. I tried a few times, and honestly, it was miserable, boring as fuck, and I only lasted a few days.

But I know someone who did this for 2 months, and he said that after the first 2-3 weeks, everything you find boring right now will become just as interesting and fun as playing games or whatever you do online. That we are so juiced up by technology that we cheat ourselves of living in a manner that will help us in the long term.

So.

Anyone here that has gone a long period of time in this manner, completely disconnected from the modern loop of technology?

OP, I did this more when I was a child of the late '80s and early '90s. Let me tell you just how much I relied upon imagination to make things interesting. I would rely on things like quarters and dice to decide the outcomes of battles between my lego creations just so I wouldn't already know the outcome of a big fight. If I built a lego house, I would create snow from bits of paper or some other white material I could find. If I built a space station from legos, I would place into orbit from the ceiling by whatever means I could figure out.

I played alone a lot as a kid. The reason I gravitate to computer games is because it beats playing alone. The reason I don't like playing with others as much is because they usually cramp my style with their other ideas. Gaming is just easier to access and requires a hell of a lot less time and energy to set up.

I have a friend who is married and has 4 kids. They have very little entertainment (no TV, no smart phones, no video games), and I really don't know what they do to pass the time. My guess is that working for 9-10 hours out of the day (plus commutes) leaves a lot less time for boredom. But then there's weekends, so I imagine they go to the park or to the recreation center nearby.

 

[Soodanim]

I remember a period of time, I think it was when my PS3 died but before I got the replacement, when I suddenly found myself being more useful around the house, and I liked it. In many ways the constant lure of procrastination is a curse, and even when I’ve exhausted my chosen few avenues of non-gaming internet I will refresh with nothing there instead of doing something more useful.

 

[Prison Mike]

Prison Mike

 

[bender]

 

[Bragr]

Imagine not having the mental fortitude to enjoy both at the same time lol

It's not really about will, it's about getting a skewed view of the world, like being a kid who only eats McDonald's and in turn hate salad, but this is not because salad tastes bad, it's because McDonald's have hijacked their taste buds and in the long term it's gonna fuck their health.

Similarly, the idea is that a lot of people have gotten their day-to-day experience hijacked by technology and think everything else is boring when it's really not.

 

[Bragr]

I remember a period of time, I think it was when my PS3 died but before I got the replacement, when I suddenly found myself being more useful around the house, and I liked it. In many ways the constant lure of procrastination is a curse, and even when I’ve exhausted my chosen few avenues of non-gaming internet I will refresh with nothing there instead of doing something more useful.

Exactly, the pull of the information flow and rewarding structures of technology override your impulses to do useful things that will help you. The balance is wrong, entertainment should be a supplement, not the driving factor.

 

[Bragr]

I've considered this myself oftentimes. I have removed myself from the digital matrix a few times, but not permanently obviously. What you say is true about the "loop" though. It's all designed to be a reinforcing set of interactions due the immediacy of input/feedback. Did Skynet already awaken?

I've had this fantasy of moving to a very remote area and living completely off-grid for a long time. The idea of living with minimal electricity, close to nature, the crackle of the fire, the breeze through the leaves, the candlelight, reading real books, growing my own food, that parasympathetic loop. I know I'd ultimately be happier/more fulfilled, but I'm admittedly bound to the matrix at the moment as well.

I wouldn't go to that extreme, frankly, games and computers are awesome and I want it in my life, but it programs your brain over time so that it becomes the go-to spot for idle time. This is really the problem here, it has too much control over a person's free time.

 

[Tschumi]

Sure, when i was a kid.. it was boring as fuck ..

 

[synchronicity]

I wouldn't go to that extreme, frankly, games and computers are awesome and I want it in my life, but it programs your brain over time so that it becomes the go-to spot for idle time. This is really the problem here, it has too much control over a person's free time.

Everyone must follow their own path. I enjoy them too, obviously, but I could see a very full and happy life without them - without modern society altogether for that matter.

 

[BadBurger]

During the summer between high school and college I spent a month with some friends in a little town in the far-flung SW corner of my state. We mostly camped and lived in a cabin that had electricity (most of the time) and running water, but no television or even a radio. It was a thirty minute drive into town - which was just a single street with some shops and a little diner.

It was alright. I got used to it after a week. Instead of watching TV or playing games we fished, canoed, shot targets with long guns and bows and arrows, I read a little (my friends were not readers, to put it kindly). That said I'd never want to do it again.

 

[mortal]

I'm not so sure about an indefinite unplug, although I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to trying it out of curiosity about my own endurance, as you said.

One of the reasons why I'm such a big fan of having "gaming seasons."
I like to take multiple breaks throughout the year from time spent gaming, sometimes 1 month or sometimes 3 months at a time.
During my gaming "seasons" I'm often gaming every other day, this usually happens when I find myself very immersed in a particular game or two.
During my breaks l prefer to mostly focus on producing creative work, tweaking my fitness regiment, other activities etc.

I tend to come back from my breaks with a newfound appreciation for gaming because I haven't turned it into a daily or weekly routine for the entire year.
The only downside is that I'll sometimes miss much of the initial buzz and conversations around new releases.
The plus is that I tend to get some great titles at a huge discount.

 

[Porcile]

When I was a university student I went about five years without having access to internet in the evenings after I left the campus. I did more work/studying, read more books, watched more movies, played more longer form games. It definitely helped me engage with the things that inspire me the most.

 

[bitbydeath]

I would rely on things like quarters and dice to decide the outcomes of battles between my lego creations

I’d play the same game with dice against my brothers with he-man toys, that and bike riding, lots and lots of bike riding.

We had the castle too, which was pretty cool.

 

[Virt McPolygon]

I don't use any assistants(Siri, Cortana, Alexa, Facebook) and will not buy any "smart" shit for my living space. I'm not so dumb where I can't flip light switches. And I'm not gonna verbally ask a virtual assistant about things I can just type into a search engine.

But my job has to do with the stuff I just mentioned lol keep that in mind when you wonder about privacy

 

[Ikutachi]

But I know someone who did this for 2 months, and he said that after the first 2-3 weeks, everything you find boring right now will become just as interesting and fun as playing games or whatever you do online. That we are so juiced up by technology that we cheat ourselves of living in a manner that will help us in the long term.

Doing what? I can't think of anything other than books for myself.

 

[BigBooper]

I've done that 2-3 weeks a few times. The idyllic luddite experience didn't happen to me. I was just a lot more bored. It probably depends on why you are doing it. If you want to get away from tech because you feel it is negativelyaffecting you, you will probably enjoy it more.

Facebook did that to me in particular. It was the only social media stuff I was really on and it sucked happiness from me. I don't even know a great answer why. Made me dislike people I knew, made me depressed for the banality of so many's existence. And those judgements weren't even fair because I'm sure some thought my existence was banal too for different reasons. Just seeing so much into everyone's personal lives wasn't for me.

 

[B D Joe]

Its a goal of mine to try off grid living , even if after a few months I hated it at least I would have tried.

I'm finding entertainment easier to give up as a lot of new stuff is just terrible imo. I'm also getting back into reading more and building up a book collection rather than dvds, walking especially amongst nature rather than city streets is so good for the soul too.

The irony is though that a lot of inspirational ideas for a more spiritual off grid life are online...

 

[Trogdor1123]

Yeah .. it's called being a kid.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Yeah .. it's called being a kid.

Kids these days will never grow up without having a screen in their face 24/7. I don't know how I feel about that.

 

[Majima Everywhere System]

I dunno, if you are still reading many books in this scenario...how is that different then beating games?

I feel the treadmill has levels, the worst of which is on a phone, social media and surfing the web/buying shit. Chasing always elusive info, connections, or deals or new stuff.

Finishing books and beating games, you kind of have to set time aside and focus on a single thing. But know one would say get rid of books because story telling is a pretty tested part human experience.

But yes, break free from a life of many things for a life of few things + responsibilities + genuine connections.

 

[Trogdor1123]

Kids these days will never grow up without having a screen in their face 24/7. I don't know how I feel about that.

It's terrible. I'm not a whole lot better than they are though but when I can do it, I do. I was on vacation last week and didn't even barely touch the phone, even to surf. Was awesome

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

Week or two at a time e.g. camping and boating etc. Places and activities where you have no choice about accessing entertainment tech such as a Internet, TV, phone or gaming. We make a point to put ourselves (wife and kids) in such weekend trips or holidays. Apart from work I could easily unplug for weeks or months at a time. Just give me a beach/snorkel, maybe some spearfishing/fishing and some beach/brush camping. I'm good to go off grid.

Frankly I wouldn't want either lifestyle to be full time imblanced.

 

[ipukespiders]

Camping is too rustic for me, I need my comforts and conveniences. But I am unable to unplug for long periods when I'm on a tropical vacation.