Introduction:

Growing up, I had a great attention span. I would engage in every conversation and pay attention to little details, making sure to point them out whether that was a good idea or not. I was never much of a technology kid growing up, I had a designated time when I could watch TV and I honestly enjoyed it that way. I often found myself constantly outside, playing in the stream in my backyard, picking flowers and overall, appreciating nature as Thoreau did. As I got older, the rules got adjusted to my age. Around 13, I had barely any rules pertaining to technology. I finally got my own phone and could do so much more than just watch TV. Once I got my phone, my attention was instantly drawn to that and only that. Everytime I would be in a conversation, I would find myself checking my phone, even if it was just for the sake of seeing what time it is. Even now, I still catch myself checking my phone everywhere I go. When this blog post was brought to my attention, I forgot about it which shows how terrible my attention span has become.

Everyday distractions:

Technology has consumed the majority of people’s everyday lives. In school, we went from mainly paper assignments to having basically all of our assignments online. I think having to do assignments on my computer and phone is definitely my biggest distraction. If I get bored, there are other apps I can open to “take a brain break” which often turns into me completely forgetting and not wanting to complete an assignment. Lectures went from teachers talking to the class to showing goggle slides that we copy and paste into our notes, office hours went from meeting with a professor in person to scheduling online meetings and some classes even became fully online, making technology the main focal point in our education. Although technology isn’t the only distraction, it’s definitely a main one for me. Friends are also a distraction sometimes. I am someone who can be easily persuaded to hangout with people instead of doing my schoolwork. If one thing is more appealing than the other, I’m taking the opportunity to have fun instead of putting my education first.

Paying attention:

When I started this project, my main goal was to pay attention to the little things that I would usually miss if I was fully captivated by technology. I wanted to pay attention to nature, like how the wind sways the trees and how different animals act everyday, I wanted to focus on my friends and family, understanding their tones and mannerisms, I wanted to pay attention to things I do that I might not realize I do everyday, like bouncing my leg when I’m stressed or the steps I take in order to get ready each day. Although I did pay attention to these things, I noticed a lot more than I usually would. Not that I’m usually self centered, but most of the time I pay a lot more attention to my habits rather than other peoples, which I feel like most individuals can agree with. This assignment helped me open my eyes to the people who surround me everyday. I noticed when each of my suitmates got up and went to bed and how they either shut the door loud or gently. I learned their routines and how I’m often up at the same time as them but just miss them as they walk out the door.

As I looked out the window, I saw squirrels stealing food out of trashcans and how they fought over a piece of a bagel. When looking at the plants and trees, I noticed the pattern at which they swayed, the fresh leaves that have been growing since winter has ended and how green the grass has been getting over the past few weeks. I noticed the rain and how if the wind blows at the perfect angle, it makes a loud whistling noise that causes chaos, blowing things over within my room. These are things that I usually take for granted, but when I was actually paying attention I realized how beautiful these natural things actually are.

Even though I was appreciative of my surroundings, my phone was a constant distraction. I tried my best to stray away from technology, but I still maintained my routine of checking it immediately when I woke up in the morning. I would go back and forth deciding on if I really needed music on my walk to class and ultimately gave in. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to fully pull myself away from technology, but I thought I would do better with holding myself accountable.

Reflection:

I didn’t intend on stepping away from technology for this assignment, but I felt as though it was needed for my wellbeing. I thought being away from technology would be easy but I’m clearly addicted. This assignment opened my eyes to how often I disregard the beauty of nature and everything I experience day to day. I learned that even though putting my phone down or straying my attention away from the TV was hard, I was more energized and responsible overall compared to when I let technology consume me. Although I don’t agree with taking technology completely out of my everyday life, I do think Thoreau was on to something and that we do need to pay attention and appreciate things in the world we usually take for granted.