I knew that I had relied on technology more than I probably should. I never realized how much I truly did until I tried to go 24 hours without it.

I began life unplugged on March 2 at 5 p.m. My goal was to make it 24 hours without technology, and I already knew that I would struggle.

When I put my phone down and told my family what I was doing, my brother, Peter, immediately offered me to play board games with him. At the time I go to sleep, I’m usually on my phone, but I played games with my brother until we both fell asleep.

It was something I would have never done if I still had my phone. The first thing I do after waking up and getting ready is to check my notifications. I had to stop myself and immediately turned off my phone when I saw the screen light up.

When I got up, I noticed my mom was the only one who was awake, so I helped her make breakfast. It was relaxing to do something I usually do but with someone who means a lot to me with no distractions.

At hour 17, I became frustrated as my family began to use their phones. I kept myself from using it by taking up other hobbies I used to do such as knitting. I would usually go on my phone and look at social media when I finished lunch. Instead, I took out my guitar and began to practice some of my favorite songs.

It was around 2 p.m. when I felt I could no longer take it and I picked up my phone.

After I finished, I realized how much I depended on it to get in contact with people. It was a struggle for me because my phone is the only way I have to talk with a lot of my friends.Even though I was not able to go 24 hours without my technology, I still feel as if I accomplished something. I was able to do so many more things than I ever did when I had technology.