If you’re like us, you were probably completely unaware that this was the week we were all supposed to turn off our computers, phones and game machines as part of Digital Detox Week.
The movement is the work of anti-consumerist group Adbusters and kicked off on April 19 (it ends April 25). Adbusters writes that “Whether it is texting, gaming, downloading or emailing, so much of our time is spent in the virtual realm.” Fortunately though, the group writes, “… the off button is easy to find.”
Ryan Van Cleave, a recovery consultant that works with ex-addicts, imparted some warnings about unplugging from the digital world cold turkey, telling the DailyBeast that the idea of Digital Detox Week is “unimplementable” in today’s connected society.
For the current generation, he continued, “… there's no difference between having a conversation over the table at Starbucks or IMing a friend they've never met in person who's a thousand miles away. To them, there's no quality difference between these two forms of social interaction.”
Van Cleave is also no stranger to videogame addiction and claims that upon finally cancelling his World of Warcraft, he considered suicide. A book about his game addiction, entitled Unplugged: My Journey Into the Dark World of Videogame Addiction, is due out this June.
This is the second year that Adbusters has promoted Digital Detox Week. Another of its engagements—Buy Nothing Day—encourages people around the globe to participate “simply by opting not to participate in the annual consumer spectacle.”
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Re: Enjoying Digital Detox Week?
From the website
" Share this 60 second animation about our hectic pace of life with your friends. Then chat with them about their digital lives and how to move in different, more meaningful ways."
HAHAHA!!!!! Watch an online video, share it, then chat with friends about it.
These guys are trolling, right?
Re: Enjoying Digital Detox Week?
Well to be fair they did say
"Luckily, the off button is easy to find. Take a week to cut back on digital stimulation as much as you can."
and not stop entirely.This is further eveidenced by
"Tomorrow morning, try a little self discipline before you switch on your computer."
But yeah didn't know about this, don't really care to follow this... my com is on most of the day and I'm not stopping that any time soon :P
Re: Enjoying Digital Detox Week?
"The movement is the work of anti-consumerist group Adbusters and kicked off on April 19 (it ends April 25). Adbusters writes that “Whether it is texting, gaming, downloading or emailing, so much of our time is spent in the virtual realm.” Fortunately though, the group writes, “… the off button is easy to find.”"
So then - why is their web server up and running?
Back to gaming~~ ;)
Re: Enjoying Digital Detox Week?
Notice no one ever sponsors a 'stop talking to live people' week or 'don't read a book' week. I think this just comes down to relative value of the speaker... these people want you doing the activties and interactions they enjoy, and can not stand the idea that other people might like something else, so they build an entire movement around discouraging people from choosing their own life structure. Nothing but a pointless power grab, and a pathetic one at that.
Re: Enjoying Digital Detox Week?
"Van Cleave is also no stranger to videogame addiction and claims that upon finally cancelling his World of Warcraft, he considered suicide."
Sorry if this seems insensitive, but this seems made up to me. I know it's always a case by case thing, but I know my brother has gone weeks on end without playing, mostly due to, shock and awe, he got bored with it on several occasions between updates.
As for the event itself, never heard of it until now and I likely wouldn't have participated even if I did, with free will and all.
Re: Enjoying Digital Detox Week?
I've never heard of this.
But I can't unplug this week either, after all, Splinter Cell Conviction just came out.
Re: Enjoying Digital Detox Week?
If this week is Digital Detox Week... and "the off button is easy to find"... Shouldn't their website be deactivated in observance of their own campaign?
...just a though...
Re: Enjoying Digital Detox Week?
So, anyone after some Splinter Cell? I got some co-op fresh from Ubi today. I got some cheap Hotmail accounts at $10 a hit. If anyone asks, you don't know where it came from. If you wanna spend big I got some RGPs straight from Japan out back. That shit'll keep you buzzing for 100+ hours.
Re: Enjoying Digital Detox Week?
Uhm... I have to grade homework... That means checking the assignment. Online. Getting the turned-in assignments. By mail. Uploading the grades and feedback. To a site.
Are they nuts?
Re: Enjoying Digital Detox Week?
I wonder who does the PR for this event? Who ever he is he sucks at his job. Has anyone even heard of this before?
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
Re: Enjoying Digital Detox Week?
ummmm....
really bad time to do this considering that students are going through finals this month, now if they had done it in the middle of the summer.. that makes more sense! but any time during the school year especially so near to finals... thats just evil. especially if the students are like my BF who is in various art classes that REQUIRE computers such as animation, web design, digital design, ect.
Re: Enjoying Digital Detox Week?
Not to mention, the state of the modern economy makes this a bad time to do this. I would say that currently it would be extremely difficult to find a job - especially one that isn't entry level or blue collor - without using a computer.
Re: Enjoying Digital Detox Week?
Adbusters takes removing advertisements so seriously they poorly advertise their own movements?
Here are we -- and yonder yawns the universe.
Re: Enjoying Digital Detox Week?
I can't work without an internet connection. :S
Pwnage of Empires
Re: Enjoying Digital Detox Week?
Well its to late to quit now, better just keep going. Where was this advertised? Online? if so so the irony is a killer
~Weatherlight~