Twenty-four hours without technology doesn’t seem like a huge challenge. It’s only one day, right? However, the hands on the clock rotate a lot slower when you can’t depend on television, the Internet, or a cell phone to distract you.

The challenge was to go from noon on a Saturday to noon on a Sunday without the use of technology that I regularly used. This means that when the clock struck noon, I had to turn off my cell phone, my computer and my iPod. However, turning these items off wasn’t the problem. Resisting the urge to turn them back on was the challenge.

I didn’t realize how connected I was to my phone until I thought I heard it vibrate on my desk multiple times. After a half hour of cleaning my room, I had to put all of my electronics into my parents’ room to avoid temptation. Without those distractions, I literally just sat on my bed for a while, trying to figure out what to do. Eventually I got up and pulled out old coloring books. I’m not ashamed to say that I colored various princesses for about an hour.

What surprised me most as I finished my picture of Cinderella was how relaxed I was. I wasn’t bothered by any urgent needs to check Facebook or to talk to my friends to see what they were up to. In fact, as the day went on, the less concerned I was about not being able to use technology. It was just a matter of learning to adapt quickly.

However, not being able to use my cell phone presented a problem when I left the house. Without my phone, there was no way to get in contact with anyone if there was an emergency. When I took my sisters to Target, I actually had to look around the store to find them after  we split up to look at different stuff. Technology doesn’t only provide us with a sense of entertainment, it also presents an easier way for communication.

I won’t lie and say that I went through the whole day without almost breaking the fast. There were a couple times when it just felt natural to check my phone or get on the computer. I had to quickly pull back and resist the temptation.

I’m not going to say my day was totally serene  just because I wasn’t bothered by any technology. I didn’t go through a great revelation about how I should appreciate activities that don’t involve electronics. Whether people like it or not, technology has become a huge part of our lives that makes a lot of tasks easier.