Let’s Try: Internet-free Thanksgiving

“I will not be spending my holiday weekend in cyberspace.”

That was the matter-of-fact declaration my mom made this morning. She’s a woman on a mission, and truth be told, I can see her point. In the early days, the Internet truly did make our lives easier, but somewhere along the way, things began to change. It became a hindrance rather than a help, a time-sucker rather than a time-saver.

In fact, it’s not uncommon to see my mom and I sitting at the kitchen table together after dinner, she on her phone and me on my laptop. And because my job is essentially on the Web, I sometimes find myself getting easily overwhelmed by the good old Internets (do other bloggers feel this way?), and lately, I even felt a bit bogged down by the weight of the World Wide Web. All signs point to the same thing: I’m in desperate need of a Digital Detox. I mean, my phone is never more than an arm’s reach away from me, even when I’m in bed at night. And when I’m not on my phone, I sometimes find myself wondering: What’s happening on Facebook right now? Any big celebrity drama going down on Twitter?

Thankfully, though, I’m not alone. Last spring, The Huffington Post revealed the results of a UK study that found people would rather have no heat or water than lose their Internet connection in their home. The study, conducted by Infosecurity Europe, asked 1,000 in London about their biggest stressors, and — you guessed it! — loss of Internet connection topped the list.

So, here’s my plan: I’m going to unplug. I’m going to start small, and vow to just unplug for Turkey Day, and see if I can last the whole day. We’re talking the works here. No Blogs. No Facebook. No Twitter. No Pinterest. No ogling Zac Efron. I’m going cold turkey — no pun intended.

Do you think I can do it, friends? I’d love to make this a group challenge, so if you’re game, let’s try it together! How long could you go without the Internet — or any technology, for that matter? Good luck, and I’ll see you in my post-Thanksgiving coma on Friday! xoxo

P.S. Here are some tips to help us (and yes, I’m aware of the irony)…
*How to unplug in six steps.
*Unplug your weekend or ruin your life.
*How to broadcast your plan to unplug.

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