Your day begins at dawn! After grabbing some coffee and having a bath, you open your device only to be bombarded with messages and email notifications awaiting your reply. The mere thought of having to respond to all those duties leaves you overwhelmed. At this point, you’d rather give up technology for sanity than live your life glued to a screen. Now you wish you could disappear.
What has become a term that illustrates living without utilities or power has transcended its idea, and applied itself to social psychology.
In its original idea, the term “off-the-grid” refers to living autonomously without reliance on a utility for power. Off-grid living is often ideal for rural locations where there is a lack of reliable grid access. However, going off-the-grid socially refers to living autonomously without reliance on a computerized utility for communication or simple interactions with people.
Going off-the-grid is an attractive option for those who want more self-sufficiency and less dependence on the currently established institutions of social standards. People who want to think and feel for themselves without being scouted by propaganda. Creating a life where you are no longer dependent on the digital grid means your level of communication is centered around in-person activities and/or written messages on paper but, it is highly dependent on you. This may feel outdated and backward but, it brings about a major appreciation for how far the world has progressed in making life a little easier.
The modern off-grid lifestyle is probably the best idea for living off-the-grid. It allows for almost all of the conveniences modern lifestyles afford but, without the actual use of technology. The goal in this situation is to rely on the grid for very little. If you decide to go off-grid in this form, you will want to have a way to tally information received daily. The most common way to do this is by using a journal that breaks down the important information from the casual ones. Many who live a modern off-grid lifestyle have an eccentric definition for conversing in-person anywhere they are. Which allows them to observe their environment in the same way a technological device would – objectively.
If you have a modern off-grid setup you should be able to easily revert to living on the grid when necessary. However, most people who live a modern off-grid lifestyle choose to stay that way till they’ve accomplished a necessary psychological growth, and have no attachment to the demands of technology or mundane social duties.
At the end of the day, the goal of going off-the-grid socially is to have a connection with life in a natural sense that is free of technology or standards dictating everyday activities. There is no recommended timeline on how long to stay off-the-grid but, rather a decision borne of necessity.
Psychologically, it builds a level of self-esteem knowing one’s capabilities of surviving a world that is constantly evolving in favor of AI. Overall, there is more to gain when going without technology or “blabbing” for a while because, we’ve been doing a lot of that lately.
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