April 24, 2008

Are we ready for the shutdown?

On any given day during a normal commute one can see people chatting on their cell phones, texting each other while waiting for their bus, and absolutely engrossed by their BlackBerry or laptop.

Having raised four teenagers I know their life is pretty much IMing, talking on their cell phones, playing video games (off or online), and/or having marathon text message sessions. There's no wonder that the interpersonal skills of the younger generation are somewhat lacking.

Last year, Denis Bystrov and Michael Taylor decided to do a global Internet experiment by seeing how many people they could convince to shut down their computers for one day. (This may or may not include iPods, video games, and cell phones, depending upon the amount of time one is tethered—so to speak—to the device.) The idea was simple: turn off your computer and think about life outside of the boundaries of your monitor screens. By March 24, 2007, more than 65,000 people participated in the campaign and shut down their electronic drug of choice for 24 hours.

Shutdown Day is now a non-profit organization run by Bystrov and Ashutosh Rajekar, a software developer and first-hand victim of excessive use of computer technology. The organization's Web site offers solutions to the collective "but what will I do?" whine and even offers prizes and sells T-shirts for the event.

Technology is a wonderful thing, but overdoing it can cause one to lose sight of this beautiful thing called life. This year Shutdown Day throws down the gauntlet and challenges overusers to abstain on Saturday, May 3. Wil u b abl 2 shtdwn 4 24 hrs?

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