Have you ever had to live with no technology for a while?

Question

Maybe there was no electricity at home for a day, or perhaps you stayed somewhere on holiday where there weren't so many gadgets as you have at home.
What was good/bad about the experience?

And would you be happy or unhappy to give up some gadgets and devices in your life?

Answer 1

I did it for 90 days. It was really hard at first, but then was great.
I lived in a tent for that time, but I had a gas canister so I could cook. There was a toilet nearby, and clean water, so that was o.k.
I had a battery operated cassette player, so I could listen to music, and I had candles and camping gas lights.
Bad - keeping food in hot weather without a fridge. Green veg. deteriorated over night, even in an ice box. Root vegetables kept the longest.
Bad - when it was hot, I could bathe in the river, otherwise I had to ride my bike for miles and beg a bath from a friend.
Bad - when storms came! One of tents blew away once, despite being weighed down with sandbags, and everything got really wet.
But those are such minor little bad things!
The good things were major and big!
The starry skies. The clean air. The silence. The best sleep I ever had in my life. The visiting wildlife (once a treefrog got inside my bedroom tent, lovely!)
The simplicity and the freedom. No bothersome telephone calls, no addicitve t.v. or computers.
I went to work every weekday, and used a public phone if I had to talk to my family or a friend. So I wasn't exactly isolated.
The postman even brought my letters to the tent for me!
One thing I would change though would be the lighting ... candle light was too dim for reading, so my eyesight suffered. I'd need a brighter light for reading and writing next time round.
Anyway, I truly loved it.
I became a much happier person. There simply was no pressure anymore. I found I was sleeping when I was tired and it often went in cycles of 3 - 6 hours ... bed at 9.00 p.m. then up until 3.00, then more sleep at 6.00 a.m. etc.
Totally responsible for myself, away from the mad rat race, and so very free!
Yes, I loved it!

Answer 2

Yes, In Feb 2003 we had the biggest ice/snow storm our tri-state area had ever seen. We lost our heat,electric.. everything for over a 2 or 3 week period. I think we had over a foot of snow at first fill and more after that, but made it worse is All the black ice and such we had. The was over everything and everything outside was covered in 3 inches thick of ice. The temp's were below 0 and we had freezing winds. I know just in my families driveway it took the ice and snow a month and a half to fully melt away. Our whole yard was a skating rink. Of course it was a bad experience for my family bc my dad had just left for Iraq and my mother was the only one working and i stayed home, went to school at night and watched and did everything for my 3 siblings. I could live without all kinds of gadgets especially after that.

As a child i was poor and didn't very much and I lived in a house with no running water and only had one tv channel just to seen if school was ever out. No inside bathroom. But I think many ppl who live like this or ever had those kinda experiences we view life and material things in a totally different manner. I know i do and we all should appreciate what we have bc of the millions of ppl living alot worse than we are.

Answer 3

I grew up poor (I'm still kinda of poor but I'm better than I was as a kid because I have a job now) so there were many times when my family had to do some indoor camping until next payday so the power could get cut back on. Cooking noodles and canned goods outside on the grill and sometimes having to get a bucket or two of water from the neighbor was a very embarrassing hassle. For me it was a bad experience and its the driving force that keeps me working hard in school and staying on top of my job at work. I don't want to have to go though that with my own family again.

Answer 4

Yes....alot of different things. We've only had a computer for about a year now.

Had my gas shut off and no hot water for a month. Had to heat a huge pan of water to take a bath and wash dishes. Wasn't really that bad, it just took to long to heat up. That was the worst part. Well, that and rinsing my hair out. I couldn't seem to get all the soap out, so at the end, I would stick my head under the cold water to get the last bit out. It sure makes you appreciate turning on the hot water instantly.

Have only had cable about half the time. Just too expensive sometimes.

Have to buy foods that the stores have on sale. I can't just go buy what I actually would like to eat.

As far as the new stuff, like i pods and such, don't have them and probably never will unless I would get lucky and win the lottery or something. And, fat chance that is going to happen. So yeah, you can live without alot of stuff.

Answer 5

My dad and I stayed at a friends' "pout house" when I was in high school for an extended weekend. It was in the woods, there wasn't even a toilet, we had to take a little seat, shovel, and tp into the woods with us when we had to go haha. It didn't have any electricity. On the one hand, it kind of sucked because it was hard to read or do anything after it got dark (the oil lamps didn't give off that much light), but on the other hand being in the woods like that and so close to nature was very peaceful, and it sure was nice not having the sounds of the city.. or neighbors. :) I'd do it again, and often!

Answer 6

it form of feels that what's new technologies sooner or later will become an substantial part of peoples lives the subsequent. i think of we lose the potential to stay to tell the tale if we modify into too based on technologies and overlook our previous. occasion- as quickly as I grew up there have been no very own computers, now they're everywhere and pocket length. Take each and every of the computers away and the international will crash. -electrical energy- attempt living without it now that that's an imperative part of our lives. - clean attainable working water interior the homestead- hate to bypass back to donning a bucket from the pass, or from the nicely. -outhouses- self explanatory lol. from time to time we permit technologies get forward persons, or we take short cuts that backfire. like the massive oil spill, it did no longer could desire to ensue. Or the refinery explosion in Texas city in 2005 (additionally BP Oil) that killed 15 and injured one hundred eighty human beings. very final rfile says BP took shortcuts on protection and broke regulations meant to stay away from the situation. whilst shortcuts have been taken it grew to become into additionally technologies that facilitates resolve the situation.

Answer 7

Once I stayed in a cabin in the woods in Michigan. I thought I would like to rough it. It was incredibly boring. I didnt like pumping water from the well, I didnt like putting wood in the stove in order to cook. Guess I'm just a spoiled city dweller. And I was shaking sand out of my clothes for a week

Answer 8

yea when a major blaclout took place in New york city i think in 2002 or 2003. i had no energy for 3 days. couldnt use computer tv game consoles charge my phone do nothing but it was a fun experience cus me and my family went out more often together and had a fun time

Answer 9

During thunder storms our power always goes off so we are well prepared.
Duvets to cuddle under/candles for light.
Squash to drink/sandwiches and biscuits for food.
Books/jigsaws/monopoly/play charades /I spy for something to do.
Quite nice now and again but I do have a battery powered radio squirrelled away in case the family drive me nuts moaning about being bored !!

Answer 10

Yes our electricity went off for 8 hours