Can I unplug and walk away?
I recently purchased a new electric vehicle (EV) which is currently still in production. Since this is my first EV, I want to learn as much as possible about how they work in comparison to internal combustion engine vehicles. For months I’ve been scouring the internet to find articles and videos from industry influencers to the point that I’ve become consumed with watching YouTube videos about EVs. I follow several EV experts on YouTube, who have so much influence that they have attracted the attention of car manufacturers. I’ve developed a habit of binging their content, soaking up all the knowledge I can. For example, I might start watching a video at 7:00 pm and before I knew it, four hours had passed. This wouldn’t happen once or twice a week, but on a daily basis. I’d consume the content in the YouTube app on my mobile phone, on my iPad, or on my TV. Then I realized “WOW! YouTube is only one app. How much time is this app taking me away from others in my life?”
The Experiment
With that I embarked on seeing if I could go without watching a single YouTube video—not just the content about EVs, but ALL videos on YouTube! My goal was to “detox” for a total of five days. During that time, I would measure several data points. I kept track of the weather and my mood during this experiment. I captured how many times I was tempted to access the app either on my mobile device or on my TV. Additionally, I logged the amount of exercise I did and how much I slept, because I had more available time. I allowed myself to watch other streaming TV content and I tracked that activity. Data gathering takes time. Yet, when you collect the right type and amount of data, you begin to see a story. The story can be surprising, or it may confirm what you already suspected. What story would my data tell? Is there a behavior I expect to emerge? Let’s take a day-by-day look at my five days without YouTube.
Day 0 – Monday
Okay, to be fair let’s discuss before the start of the detox. You see, I felt like I did when I was growing up. During Lent we’d have to give something up for forty days. So, I’d say, “I’ll give up eating candy during Lent.” Then without fail, I would shove as much candy as possible in my mouth the night before Lent began! In my childish fashion, I did the same thing with this detox. No, I didn’t shove candy in my mouth; I watched three hours of EV content right before midnight. Now, onto Day 1.
Day 1 – Tuesday
I woke up as normal and began my day. I thought to myself “You got this!” Everything was good because I had work to distract me from being on YouTube. As the day continued, my friends wanted to know when I was getting my new EV. Well, then all I could think about was what was happening in the EV world. I felt myself getting anxious and wanting to abandon my detox from EV videos. Throughout the first day, I attempted to go into the YouTube app on my mobile phone fifteen times and tried accessing it on my TV five more times, but I stopped myself before actually watching a video.
Day 2 – Wednesday
After getting through Tuesday, I expected Wednesday to be better, and it was… a little. My attempts to access YouTube declined slightly to twelve on the app and five on TV. Day 2 also presented a new challenge at work, where I’m expected to access YouTube for research purposes. I had an internal struggle; I’m trying to detox, but my job requires me to use YouTube. Am I not detoxing? Am I cheating? Finally, my inner self said “Dude, you need to get a grip! Remember, you were trying to detox from personal consumption of EV content. Lighten up!” My inner self was right. Thanks, inner self!
Day 3 – Thursday
Thursday proved interesting. I started to forget about seeing EV video content on YouTube unless someone reminded me by asking a question related to EVs. I was calmer and I only attempted to access the YouTube content ten times on the app and three times on TV. Even though I may be weaning off watching YouTube (except where needed for work), my Instagram access increased.
Day 4 – Friday
Friday was easier because no one asked me about my EV and most of the day I didn’t even think about going on YouTube. My wife planned a family trip to a local botanical garden called Longwood Gardens. The weather was beautiful, and we brought our daughter and her friend with us. We walked around the grounds for several hours and had dinner. Detox is working…well almost. While I was sitting on a bench waiting for the girls to meet up again, my wife caught me almost finishing a day early! Yikes! Almost slipped and opened YouTube. Luckily, we have a picture as proof. I did not finish tapping to open the app. Whew! Thanks Honey!
Day 5 – Saturday
Finally, the last day. I have to say today went pretty well. I did think about YouTube and almost attempted to watch videos three times on each device. But I resisted since I wanted to see this experiment through.
Lessons Learned
Wow! What an experiment that was. While I didn’t give up Instagram or Facebook, my YouTube detox was helpful. One take away from the experiment is proving you can walk away from technology and survive. Sometimes it’s good to take a break and get yourself refocused. Collecting data helps you get perspective and tell your story. If you want to change a habit, try detoxing at regular intervals. This experiment showed me how much time I spend in front of a screen, not taking time to enjoy what’s around me. It’s okay to learn about something, but don’t be too obsessive. Based on this experiment, I plan to do a quarterly 5-day detox from everything digital. During that time, I will branch out and try some new things I’ve never done before.
