Danna Walker, a journalism professor at American University, had her ‘Understanding Media’ class thinking ‘OMG!’ when she challenged them to go without electronic media for 24 hours.

‘I know that other professors around the country do this type of thing,’ Walker said. ‘I talk a lot about new media, new technology and whether young people keep up with the news. I kept feeling like there was a disconnection between myself and the students because I could see differences from the past that they weren’t able to see.’

The rules for the experiment were simple. Students were to go 24 hours without using any kind of electronic media. This includes television, iPods, radios, video games, computers and cell phones. Walker said the students could still read books, magazines and newspapers.

‘I think this experiment demonstrated that most people most of the time are unaware of how deeply they are involved in mediated culture,’ said Chris Simpson, a communications professor at American University. ‘One of the strengths about this experiment was it helped people see for themselves how absorbed they are and how surrounded they are by media.’

Once the students had unplugged their lives for 24 hours, they each had to write a reflection on their experiences.

‘I got the impression that they really did do the experiment,’ Walker said. ‘Enough of the students seemed to take it on as a challenge.’

The general consensus from students shows it was undoubtedly challenging.

‘Some students felt completely lost,’ Walker said. ‘There was also a theme that many students saw it as an addiction.’

David Mindich, a professor of journalism at St. Michael’s College and author of ‘Tuned Out: Why Americans Under 40 Don’t Follow the News,’ said he thinks it is a great idea to celebrate the times when society has a break from the media.

‘I think we can say that we are more wired than we’ve ever been as a society, and particularly young people spend a tremendous time in front of the screen or listening to things electronically,’ Mindich said. ‘And it is important to take a break from the constant barrage of media.’

Walker, who also participated in the experiment, found herself struggling just as much as her students.

‘It was very challenging,’ Walker said. ‘I remember several years ago feeling self-righteous saying, ‘I’m not addicted like all these other people – I could take it or leave it.’ I was stunned by the fact that I’m totally dependent. It was a rude awakening.’

The key for most seems to be in finding a balance.

‘If all you are doing is facing a screen all day long, get out into nature. And do the opposite if you are spending your life in the woods,’ Mindich said.

Syracuse University’s student population seems to be just as wired. Many students walk around campus with their cell phones, Blackberry’s, laptops and iPods.

Michelle Henderson, a junior Spanish and African American studies major, cannot imagine going more than five hours without her cell phone.

‘I have two cell phones because I need one with a keyboard for text messaging,’ she said. ‘It is less expensive this way because I send about 3,000 texts per month.’

When asked what she would do if she were assigned the same experiment as the one at American University, Henderson said: ‘I would probably go home and cry secretly. It would be like a person without their wedding ring, and I would feel like something was missing. I’d be paranoid.’

Jeffrey Moses, a sophomore advertising major, estimates using electronic media at least 10 hours a day. ‘Who doesn’t look at their phone every 20 minutes?’ he said.

Moses also admits that it is possible to be too connected.

‘I think it’s a good thing because people can spread information quicker,’ he said. ‘But when you see elementary school kids with cell phones, it’s too much. Kids aren’t being kids anymore. They are growing up too fast.’

Simpson, the professor from American University, said he does not necessarily view the digital age as all good or all bad.

‘Do people in the United States swim in a sea of media input and rely on it? Yes. Is there anything negative? Sure! But it’s not a terrible problem,’ he said. ‘I don’t think of it as a moral judgment.’

Walker said she sees the opening up of media to everyone as a great thing, but also as something to think about as society evolves.

‘The experiment really hit a nerve with a lot of people,’ Walker said. ‘I guess I want to apologize to all those college students whose professors will now be doing this to them.’

Published on October 15, 2007 at 12:00 pm