Can you go without a computer for a day?
No e-mail. No Google expertise. No Mapquesting. No MSN. No YouTube or MySpace, or Facebook. No access to your brain's external drive.
Saturday, March 24, 2007 marks Shutdown Day, an online experiment that aims to find out how many people can go without a computer for 24 hours. Two young men from Montreal set up the event. The purpose is to get people thinking about how the home computer has changed our lives, society, and culture.
The idea evolved from a lunch conversation between Denis Bystrov and Michael Taylor. Bystrov, a computer programmer, expressed that he was spending too much time on the computer, and not enough time with his family. He said he always had to be by the computer, and couldn't even leave it for the day.
A challenge was born — leave the computer for a day, 24 hours, on March 24.
"We thought it would be great if we have one day where hopefully nobody uses their personal computers, and we just see what happens" explained Michael Taylor, co-founder of Shutdown Day. "If people stop and really think — Are we too dependent on computers? Are we living in the virtual world too much? Or are we OK?"
Cue "Virtual Insanity" by Jamiroquai.
Taylor is a 27 year old who used to work on the stock market in London, England. He's currently on an extended vacation in Montreal, and is hoping to get into tennis coaching or something else. "I've had enough of staring at a computer all day long."
Shutdown Day's goals are simple — to get as many people as possible to shutdown for 24 hours, and to collect user feedback. This includes thoughts on the experiment itself, as well as comments on participation.
"The response has been phenomenal," exclaimed Taylor. Most of the site traffic has been a result of word of mouse, thanks to a post on Digg.com and a video on YouTube. Close to 50,000 people have signed up at shutdownday.org. "We've been on TV in Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, France as well, and Spain. People are really interested in the topic, about whether or not we're starting to become too dependent on the computer."
Not all the buzz has been positive.
"Boycott International Shutdown Day" writes Peter Rojas, Editor In Chief of the popular web magazine Engadget.com. Rojas posted a tongue-firmly-in-cheek response to Shutdown Day at Engadget: "We're going to show the Blame Computers First crowd what's what and use our computers TWICE as much on March 24th — even if that means grabbing two machines and then typing with our fingers and toes at the same time."
Rojas is not going to pay attention to Shutdown Day because he feels it's a silly and empty symbolic gesture. "I think people should shut off their computers during the day, anyway," he said.
"It's based in a sort of technophobia, this presumption that being connected is somehow bad, which I don't think it is."
Taylor takes no issue with technology. "What we're suggesting is that the problem is with humans, and the way society is going, rather than with computers."
The day's website explains "shutdownday.org is not against the use of computers, but it would be nice to take time off for one day, to reflect and remember the other things in life that maybe we sometimes forget because we have come accustomed to a life dominated by our computer." Taylor also noted that there are people in society who are addicted to video games or surfing the web.
The internet isn't "addictive" according to John Mueller, professor of applied psycholoy at University of Calgary. Then how does only explain the urge to check Facebook five to 10 times a day?
"It's possible I think to develop an obsessive compulsive habit, it's certainly not a physiological addiction in the sense of nicotine or another drug substance. It's certainly possible to develop habits that are overwhelming to the plight that if they're disrupted for some reason, they result in feelings of anxiety."
Mueller expressed some concerns with Shutdown Day. "The danger in a Shutdown Day like this would sort of kid people into thinking that they've actually done something healthy for themselves without prohibiting longer lasting habit change in order to effect that." But he added, "people do need to get out and do other things, and have other interests. No question about it."
What does Taylor have planned for the big day? "We're hoping there's going to be some nice weather, so I can get some friends together, meet up in the park, to play some soccer in the park. But being in Montreal, it may be a little bit too cold for that, so maybe if there's enough snow, we'll go snowboarding."
Jennifer Hollett is a broadcast journalist and freelance writer who will be hanging out with her friends offline on Shutdown Day.
