by Das Govind

Created on: November 19, 2010   Last Updated: November 20, 2010

Shutdown Day: Can you go without your computer for a day?

Honestly, this is the twenty first century. No one in their  right mind will be able to go without their computer or technological gadgets for a day.  New computer technology like Blackberries and I-Pods have revolutionised the way that we view our e-mails or Google  important information on line. There needs to be a total shutdown of all these little gadgets and cellphones included if we go without our computers for a day. This will prove most challenging in big cities like New York or Seoul where everything is controlled by the technological environment.  Trade in the whole World from Rio to Sydney will be affected. There will be chaos. People will loose everything. Bank accounts will run dry and it will be the ''millennium bug'' all over again.

Having a shutdown day does have its advantages. People will slow down and focus on the more important things in life like family. Man will also spend more time outdoors, and rediscover the joy of going fishing or taking the family out for a picnic. Families will spend the day together and get to know each other better. In this age of rapidly advancing technology many have forgotten the art of communication. Children as well as adults are too influenced by electronic communication like Messenger and Facebook. We live in a virtual world. People hide behind a facade in some kind of fantasy existence, and we know nothing about the real person. Shutting down  the computer down for a day will help many to remove their masks and show people their true selves.

Now begs the real question. Can I do without my computer for a day? Well, I can but it will be quite hard as I also work as a freelance write and rely on the Internet to look up information and work with prospective clients. There was a time when I did not even know what Google  was, but today I have become a technology dependent. I cannot sleep if I have not read my e-mail. Maybe a shut down day will be good for me, as I will find other things to do, like mentioned in the above paragraphs, maybe discover the outdoors, visit some long lost relatives or even try some new recipe instead of spending all my time and energy on the computer. I think a shutdown day will do me some good, and I also get to rediscover my life, give my eyes some rest from looking at the screen, and even save my body by minimising the amount of radiation that I get from the computer screen.

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