Pretty sure "Wall-E" was meant to be a cautionary tale rather than something to which we aspire...

I will be returning an entire rolling suitcase full of power cords, cable boxes, modems, etc. today as we disconnect our cable and internet service at home.  Passenger's 'Scare Away the Dark' is a good mantra for what I'll call our experiment in the 'consciously unconsuming' of technology.  :)

Don't get me wrong- Facebook is amazing for keeping in touch when it's the only option, but many nights and weekends I'd prefer to just go spend time with folks rather than experiencing them 'virtually.'  I'd also prefer to start creating (e.g., painting) and growing (e.g., fruits, veggies, and my kombucha) in my free time again rather than watching television shows to 'zone out' or 'de-stress' after teaching.

I feel like part of my goal for the next year is to question how I live and who benefits from the systems I participate in.  Does the technology feed my soul or does it feed the coffers of the corporations producing and marketing it?  We are encouraged to abandoned working phones (even to intentionally drop them in a toilet in order to take advantage of a faster 'free phone upgrade'), but doing so benefits producers/providers of the technology at the expense of people in the 'Global South' who receive our e-waste.  [And then there's the whole other can of worms related to stripping the Earth of rare minerals to produce our gadgets.]  While there are some alternatives, it seems the best approach is to use our power as individuals to change our demand for goods and services.

Disconnecting from cable and the internet at home is my attempt to live in a manner more consistent with what I believe (and with what I've been preaching in class).  We will still be using our existing digital devices.  I'll also still be connected to a computer screen with this blog (no, the irony of a blog diatribe on technology is not lost on me!), which I've chosen over keeping a paper journal largely for professional reasons.  My hope, however, is to see a lot more of you in person (or hear your voice on the phone), to rekindle my childhood love affair with the public library, to foster my own creativity, and maybe even to learn some new skills.  :)  B.