In this technological age, it's almost impossible to imagine how life can be without the use of modern devices. From smartphones to the Internet, most people today find it hard to spend even just a few hours without using any form of new technology. Despite the importance of technology in our daily lives, knowing how to survive in cases of technology blackout is equally crucial as well. For instance, being able to drive a car during technology blackouts may come in handy. Most of the drivers rely on satellite navigation systems to get to their destination.
Back to basics
Although disconnecting yourself from technology may be a difficult task, there are steps in surviving a technology blackout. The first thing is the proper distribution of information. Before clicking that logout button, make sure your family and friends know that you will be unable to respond to their online messages. Provide them with details on the length of time that you wish to disconnect yourself from technology. Being able to survive without technology will pay off, especially when you're compelled to experience this during certain situations (e.g. natural disasters).
Surviving a technology blackout is simply a matter of willpower. The amount of time you wish to be offline generally depends on your lifestyle. A business executive would most likely have a difficult time in coping with a technology blackout. Likewise, those who are glued to their smartphones would also find it unbelievable to live without their handheld devices. Going on a remote area with no network service would help your cause, particularly if you wish to train yourself in reducing time spent on using modern technology. This is predominantly helpful during vacation trips. Nothing ruins a good trip if you keep getting calls from your phone or you constantly update your status on social media accounts.
To take off your mind off the idea that you're on a technology hiatus, exercises is a viable activity. Go out for a walk and stretch those legs. You would be surprised how helpful it is to spend time outdoors.
Survival of the fittest
On a larger scale, being able to survive a technology blackout transcends beyond the simple belief that it could benefit an individual's well-being. There are many groups that conduct situational experiments on what to do in cases of Internet disruptions due to uncontrollable forces, including severe weather. One example is the Commotion experiment of the New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute for alternative networks. Dubbed as the "wireless mesh network," the experiment sought to build decentralised servers. This type of project could be very useful in the event of a storm or war outbreak. "We haven't designed our technology to give people control of their infrastructure at all," said Ryan Gerety, Open Technology Institute senior field analyst. "The normal way to communicate, even if we're standing in the same room, is through a Google server." By building mesh networks, access to online information would remain possible during government interference and service disruptions from corporations.
