LIVING WITHOUT TECHNOLOGY

Susan Maushart is the mother of three teenagers. For six months, she took away the Internet, TV, iPods, cell phones and video games. The screens stopped lighting up the living room. Electronic devices stopped ringing and beeping the nights. And she stopped carrying her iPhone into the bathroom.

Maushart wrote a book about her children’s experiences. It’s called The Winter of Our Disconnect. In her book, Maushart explains how they rediscovered small things that made their lives better. Those were board games, books, lazy Sundays, old photos, family meals and listening to music together.

Maushart’s son Bill was addicted to video games and TV. He filled his spare time playing saxophone. Bill became serious about playing. He even sold his video game console when the ban on electronics ended. He is now studying music in college.

Maushart’s oldest child, Anni, didn’t use technology as much as the other family members. She was more into reading so it wasn’t difficult for her to live without technology. Maushart allowed the use of electronics outside of their home. So Anni went to the library if she needed computers for schoolwork.

Maushart’s youngest daughter, Sussy, had the hardest time. She missed texting. She missed Facebook. So she spent hours on a landline phone instead. However, the time away from electronics helped her: Sussy’s grades went up.

Maushart decided to unplug the family because the kids overused electronics. Maushart’s children were ages 14, 15, and 18. Like so many teens, Maushart said, her son and two daughters couldn’t do their homework without listening to music, updating Facebook, and trading instant messages at the same time. “They don’t remember a time before e-mail, or instant messaging, or Google,” Maushart wrote.

Maushart’s experiment was more difficult in the beginning. She turned off the electricity for a few weeks. The family had to use candles instead of electric lights. They didn’t use the fridge. They even couldn’t have hot showers. Maushart hoped for her children to understand that there were things more necessary than phones.