Extreme Minimalism || Two Years Without Technology
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- Опубліковано 8 лип 2024
- I went two years without technology...or I tried. Here's what happened...
Minimalism is about removing things from your life to live a less cluttered life. Often when people remove things from their life they are able to think clearer and be more present in the moment, but what happens when you remove technology from your life?
In 2018 I decided I would do an experiment on myself and minimize technology as much as I could to see what life would be like without technology. My plan was to do the following:
1. No home internet for 2 years
2. No smartphone for 2 years
3. No TV for 2 years
4. No technology outside laptop and Nokia phone for 2 years
I wanted to do this because I thought that removing technology from my life would allow me to be more social, live in the moment, and be more productive. On March 2018, I started this experiment to live without technology for 2 years.
Here is what happened:
Month 1:
The first month I was less distracted and more focused on the present. I was really enjoying living without technology, but looking back I know, "You can't see the reality of anything in 1 month."
It takes more than 1 month to see the reality of something, so that first month I only saw the positives of removing technology from my life.
Month 2:
In the second month I started to realize that I wasn't getting invited to as many social events and this was because I didn't have a smartphone. I realized I had to conform a bit or I'd be missing out. So I got a smartphone to communicate more with friends, but left it at home and didn't use it as my main phone.
Month 5:
For 5 months I did not have wifi at home and the only place I could use internet was at school. This created problems when I was trying to lesson plan. I realized that not having regular access to the internet made it harder to complete tasks and I was wasting time because I was trying to create lessons without the internet. So, I started to visit internet cafes more frequently.
Month 9:
Nine months into this experiment, I moved out on my own as I was living with host families before, but I decided that I still did not want to have the internet in my house. My compromise was moving closer to the mall where I could use internet without much hassle. I realized that it is impossible to live with no internet in the 21st century.
Month 12:
I was using a basic Nokia phone for the first 12 months and after a while it started to cause me a lot of problems. I had difficulties getting around the city and communicating with friends. I realized that there is no point of putting yourself through stress if you do not have to. A smartphone would make my life much easier, so I decided to get a smartphone as my main phone.
Month 13:
Once I got a smartphone, my life began to change. I was able to save time by using apps like whatsapp and maps. I realized that social media makes more moments possible.
Month 14:
Despite using the internet on a regular basis, for the entire 2 year period I never had internet at my house. Whenever I had friends over we were able to have better conversations because no one was distracted with smartphones. Not always having the internet around made people more social and better conversations.
Month 15:
It took me 15 months until I was able to understand Ecuadorian culture. Once I got to know some of my students, I noticed some were extremely intelligent. When I asked them where they were studying outside of school they said the internet. I realized that the internet has revolutionized humanity by giving resources to places that might not have the bets resources.
Month 16:
Despite getting a smartphone, I never took it out in the city to avoid getting it stolen. After doing this for a while I realized that people will smile and talk to you more when you do not have a phone out.
Month 24:
Two years after I started this experiment, i realized that technology is not a bad thing. In many ways, technology makes our lives much easier and we should use it in our lives. Through it all, I learned that technology is our reality and we have to live with it.
2 Years Later:
It has been 2 years since I did this experiment and now I use technology often. Looking back I now know that, "You don't go without technology, you learn to have self control." - Навчання та стиль
![10 Minimalist Ideals I [ADOPTED] from Living Abroad](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pFcGG2Nn5_g/mqdefault.jpg)
![10 Minimalist Ideals I [ADOPTED] from Living Abroad](/img/tr.png)
As always, thanks for watching!!!! #28!
I want it all to be cut off, I’m going off grid as its bad for children and it make adults argue, interesting video but i feel we can all live without it.
I appreciate this balanced and honest approach. I haven't tried to cut out internet entirely because it's very self-evident that we are now virtually unable to function in life without it. But I don't have an accepting attitude toward it. It makes me very sad that we are stuck with technology, despite how great it can be in so many ways. It makes me sad that those of us who don't want it no longer have the option of going without. Before internet, there were many alternative ways to get things done that now no longer exist. I don't think it's as easy as simply having self-control, because many studies have shown that technology addiction is as powerful as a hard drug. And there are profound and extreme drawbacks to technology, especially for children (and therefore the future of mankind.) I agree that we can't go back, and that's very frightening.
Yes, I agree. It is sad that it is no longer optional. Technology particularly the internet has completely changed what it means to be human and as someone who wants to connect more deeply with my soul and finds great purpose and joy in connecting with entities beyond the material realm, I find technology a massive hindrance to that. I think that the way we view and feel about technology is contingent upon our life goals and mission. If someone's life goal and mission is to focus on being a teacher (like Austin) and live an easy life outside of that, then technology is great. If your life goal is like mine, to connect more deeply with my soul, intuition, other forces beyond the material and expand my creativity then things like the internet can cause serious issues in pursuing that and can act as a huge distraction. It is also worth mentioning that I struggle to control myself when using the internet, find it immensely addictive etc. Perhaps Austin is more able to control himself around the more negative aspects of the internet which is why he sees more positive in it than someone like myself.
I am currently trying to move away from too much TV. When I moved 6 years ago, I vowed never to have the TV on during the day. Now, I am trying to have at least Sunday evening without the TV as well. I have about 10 books that I say I want to read but don't. Last year I managed about 5 books, which is silly. You are so right technology is very useful, essential for modern life BUT needs to be used, like any tool, with self control.
Yes, it's scary how much TV the average person watches a day and it's so easy to fall into it. I try to cut it out as well and have podcasts and music in the background instead.
Great comment! I think once you see how streaming services and TV lure you in to keep you on their platform all day (as well as social media apps), you start to try to go against it. The amount of TV available is now unlimited because we're not bound by just broadcasts on cable or antenna, tons of shows are made by each streaming service now that you could never finish in multiple lifetimes! I admit that I probably watch more UA-cam than TV now, but I feel like I'm actually learning something and Austin's videos are very informative, calm, and not stress-producing!
We in the USA have some of the worst, slowest internet service in the world and we pay more for it than anywhere else in the world. Very aggravating. One thing I've noticed about sending my friends articles that I find on the internet -- they will read the title of the article but won't read the article. People don't want to read anymore. Recently I read "Uncle Tom's Cabin." How many Americans do you personally know who have read this book? I know one. oNE. That's me.
I lived in South Korea for two years 2008-2010 and worked as an ESL teacher. No laptop at all all of my lesson plans and materials I had to write and make by hand. It was a lot of work! I had a little non-smart phone that I’d inherited from some other westerners who had returned home, no internet, no maps on it. Most westerners over there didn’t have phones so everything was arranged by people just showing up at your house. I actually really miss those days. Things were really simple if you could just go with the flow.
I don't like living such an intense digital life but the internet is a fantastic tool so now I use it as a tool. I use it for work, online shopping and necessary research. I do this via a laptop between 11am and 4pm, no internet except netflix other than those times. I'd love to ditch Netflix and the TV more and just have a home cinema to have one off proper movie nights. But my Mum lives with me and loves the TV and netflix. I can't expect her to go non tech because I am. No social media and definitely no smartphone, I have a dumb phone (calls and texts but no internet) and I really like having a real alarm clock.
Great video. I did a similar experiment but without traveling. I tried living with a flip phone for 1 year and noticed how I needed maps to navigate and needed some of the other apps for work. It's all about moderation and learning to use technology to make things easier and not letting it suck you in like a vortex.
Thank you for sharing another video that makes a lot of sense. God bless!
Thank you for the video Austin. Technology has opened so many possibilities for everyone around the world. Take care and have a great week.
Thanks, you too!
This video is absolutely amazing!! I was in fact planning to do something like that, but after watching your video I know that I would have arrived to the same conclusions: I just saved so much time by watching your video. So much gratitude!
Right on!
I think your exercise was a worthwhile one. It's easy to get dogmatic upon such an undertaking, which may cause you to lose sight of your original intentions in the 1st place. But I think the purpose of your exercise was not to forsake technology like the Amish, but rather to take a critical look at technology to be a more intentional consumer. You kind of deconstructed what you took for granted and gradually reconstructed.
Bottom line, technology is good and bad. It is useful to build boundaries so that you can exploit the good without succumbing to the bad. Thanks for sharing and thanks for documenting your undertaking.
Great video. Setting boundaries with modern technology and especially Smartphones is extremely difficult. I’m watching this at 3.30am as I woke up during the night. Should be trying to get back to sleep but things like this excellent UA-cam channel just seem more appealing.
haha, well my videos aren't going anywhere!! Available 24 hours a day!!
Hi Williams! Thanks for share your experience
Why can't I meet guys like you.
I have adhd and I suspect like many others your final lesson is the hardest
Around 2012 I had no smart phone or social media accounts and my mates would get so frustrated at me that i was always out of the loop and someone would have to sms txt me when there was a meetup. That was 12 years ago and it was very hard then!
Bro there’s no way I could do that. My respect to you. Cheers 🍻
I have lived 11 years without any cable television or Internet in my home. And honestly I don’t miss it my cell phone has Wi-Fi on it if I need to search the Internet for anything.
Great video. A follow up on how to limit it & set up boundaries would be great. I think a lot of us need tips to improve our self control.
Agree. Also age doesn’t seem to improve things. I’m over 50 now but my smartphone addiction is now very entrenched.
I can't stop loving your videos they are the best!!
Thank you! Happy to hear!
Love to listen to you your great!😁
Excellent video about an important topic. Your insights and stories are interesting and throught-provoking.
Thank you for your insightful observations. I'm a senior living on a very tight budget. Before watching your video, i imagined i could get along without the internet and save nearly $100 a month. I figured (while comfortably lying in bed, clutching my laptop) i'd ride the bus to the library every other day or so and use free wifi there. Now i realize that part of the reason i can luxuriate in bed is because i can do nearly everything (from bill paying to social check ins) on my home internet, while in the comfort of my own space. I guess that's worth $100 a month.
Good info in this channel. Interesting and balanced. (That ring light gives you evil-looking eyes tho.)
Wow that’s very nice, thank you so much for sharing your experience 👏🏻👏🏻
Thanks for watching!
All about moderation 💪🏼
Very interesting 🤔
Epic breakdown 👍🙌👏🔥🙏🏽❤️ Augustine es muy Chingon 👍🙌❤️🙏🏽
jaja!
Great video
You just went back to my childhood lol. How did we survive without internet? We had home phones well, most did I didn’t always but we had meeting areas like the boys club we knew what time and what day to be there. It didn’t seem that difficult back then. The teacher always had a different plan every day so they used books for preparation. I do enjoy the internet but I know we can live without it because we did live without it.
The problem is that everything that use to be on phone and paper has gone online.
All things in life require self control and balance. Technology has made our lives easier, but like everything in life too much of a good thing can be bad!!
I ❤️ your chanel
I believe the right idea is to only use technologies that we can use ...unlike smartphones and almost anything that has a screen which are technologies that use us
Hi Austin. How are you? I am
Watching all your videos. I was watching the one where you were talking about the gas buddy app ( which I downloaded and already used thanks to you) however I was driving when I was watching and I did not finish it. Long story short, I keep watching and rewatching all your videos with the hope of finding “ that particular video” but I have been unsuccessful! Could you please let me know which video that was? I would like to finish it. Lol. Thank you so much.and congrats on your channel. You are doing great!
Howdy, possibly this one: ua-cam.com/video/tbyz7Jqn8iU/v-deo.html
Lmk if that's not it!
@@ElAgustin yeeees!!! Thank you so so so much!!!
Marshall McLuhan, The Medium (media) is the Massage..
Hello Augustin I luv coffee just like u.
Depends on how you want to live - theres people in Afghanistan living in caves all they need is food and water and a fire.
I got rid of my television 16 years ago - dont miss it. I got rid of my washing machine last year 2 buckets of hot water plus a tablespoon of washing powder does my clothes in 20 minutes in an old barrel. I dont have many friends and dont do social stuff, prefer my own company most of the time. When the cost of living crisis hit i pulled my oven and gas hob out and started cooking on an old cast iron range with scrap wood. I have money but wasnt prepared to give it to the energy company. I have had enough of modern shit its always going wrong i know i work in a factory and engineering. Stuff is getting over-complicated.
I actually hate computers just a means to an end - maybe theres a technical term for phobia of technology.?
Satnav went to a charity shop, dont have a toaster or microwave ,gave the scientific calculator to my friends daughter, the less you have the better you feel.
Another great one! I’m writing this comment on my wood burning Amish computer. 😉
As far as getting around goes, could you not get a paper map?
i appreciate the IDEA behind "no tech," but the reality is that if we step back and look at the big picture AND history, it tells us that this IDEA is a lost cause.
Simply put, if you look at attitudes of "no tech" people from 60 years ago or 160 years ago, you fill find that the "no tech" people....were wrong.
No tech people will:
prefer tea to penicillin when faced with pneumonia
prefer open doors and windows to air conditioning
prefer hunting buffalo with a sharpened stick to getting meat from a store
prefer a horse to car
prefer squinting to glasses
prefer typing to word processing
prefer writing a letter to a phone call
prefer US mail to texting
The idea of "hang on to the old ways" is quaint. I get it. I own a vintage car. Is it better than my late model japanese car? not in any way (other than coolness)
History tells us, that people who fight progress....are eventually: wrong. (usually)
I really do not like technology specifically Anti Humanity item like A.I and I believe that there is one country where we can live such nature vibes and such life is Oman , or many other countries which provides us without technology but nature life 🧬,
But because of Family pressure I had no choices left so I had to choose but When I became in my legal age I would not choose that lifestyle, I would prefer to live without technology and loveable and natural life,
I appreciate you making such a video.
"I moved to South America in a country called Ecuador" that was for an American audience, right? :D
I disagree with most of this. Why does everything have to be hyper-efficient? 2 hours for a load of laundry is... not a long time, a machine takes that long as well it's just that YOU don't have to do anything. You don't need Google Maps. Get a paper map. The modern obsession with "convenience" and ease is a disease.
TECHMOLOGY
is it good, or is it whack?
To be honest, I don't really think abstaining from technology is financial minimalism. My Internet, gas, electric are included in my rent.
Ok
I decided to delete the Facebook app for a few days, to rest from it.
I deleted the app and only use it on my computer. It makes me a bit more conscious.
Currently No tv for 1.5 years. Netflix only.
I grew up in 70/80’s, No technology except tv😂
no you didn't. it's impossible to live without technology. perhaps you mean MODERN technology?
You gotta get closer to the mic,or some shit...cant b@stard hear you without headphones on!
I stopped all social media without YT when the pandemic came to Germany and I was really shocked how fast I loose the connection to my friends and colleagues. At first I thought ok I am 53 nothing will happen , Life will be easier and we can phone but the truth is - it does not work. I hate It but at the end I start a new account to FB and Insta. Thank you 🙏 so much for your great Videos.
Thanks!
No
The internet
Is
Not Human
And will Destroy Humanity