IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - December 2016 - 9

ing to real people, in person, and
more digital and mechanical - in
asking them to participate [2]. Being
intonation, action, even movement
able to hear their laughs, and see
and thought. Breaking with this feelthe expressions on their faces, and
ing and regaining even a little bit of
listen to their respective stories was
control back is imperative every so
so satisfying. On a few occasions
often, lest we become machine-like
I embraced people I met
after opening my heart to
life matters, challenges,
joys, and sorrows. The cool
thing? I met lots of people
Depending on our work, we can
that reminded me of my
mum and dad; lots of peofeel captive behind the screen at
ple who had three or four or
times, or at least to the thousands
more (or no) children - and
felt connected more than
of messages that grace our
ever before to the big family we call "society." We'd
laptops and mobile phones.
sit around at the beach, at
the rock pool, or the camp
site, listening and learning from one
ourselves. It is healthy to be "just
another, and somehow indirectly
human," without the extensions and
encouraging one another onwards.
the programs. In fact, it is essential
We soon realized these were shared
to revitalize us and help us find our
experiences and there was a soliplace in the world, as sometimes
darity, a "oneness," an empathy bettechnology leads us too quickly
ween us.
ahead of even ourselves.
We returned home a few days
While it is an intuitive thing to
early due to heavy rains, and unexdo, you might find yourself having
pectedly I did not feel the drive to
to work that little bit harder to make
return to my email trove that I figured
the unplugged time happen. But
had grown substantially in size. The
breaking free of all the tech (and
thought crossed my mind that I could
associated expectations) occasionget heavily depressed over the thoually, reinforces what it once meant
sands of messages I had missed. But
to be human.
I controlled that temptation. The last
Author Information
thing I wanted at that point was to get
Editor-in-Chief Katina Michael is a
bogged down again in the rhythm
professor in the Faculty of Engineerof the digital world. Friends and coling and Information Sciences at the
leagues might have been shocked
University of Wollongong, NSW,
that I did as I said I would do -
Australia. Email: katina@uow.edu.au.
utterly disconnect - but I learned
something very fundamental... time
References
away from the screen makes us more
[1] M. Lacy, "Cities of panic and siege
human as it inevitably brings us clospsychosis," in Security, Technology and
er together, closer to nature, and also
Global Politics: Thinking with Virilio. New
York, NY: Routledge, 2014 p. 69f.
brings things into perspective.
[2] K. Michael, "Unintended consequences
Depending on our work, we can
1-100," 2015; http://www.katinamichael
feel captive behind the screen at
.com/call-for-papers/2016/1/14/unintendedconsequences-1-100-artwork, accessed 26
times, or at least to the thousands of
August 2016.
messages that grace our laptops and
mobile phones. They make us even

FIguRE 8. The kids posing for a photo
with a big snail at Merimbula's Main
Beach. Such a great opportunity for all
of us to bond even closer together.

FIguRE 9. Going down a steep and
narrow unsealed road with lots of
potholes at Mimosa Rocks National Park.
One way down and only one way up.

when we don't need them. It has
become a knee-jerk reaction, even
if we have the stored information
at hand readily available.
*
I am thankful I turned to art on this
trip - a decision I made a few days
before I left my home (see cover
image of this issue). I loved speakDECEmber 2016

∕

IEEE Technology and Society Magazine

http://www.katinamichael

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - December 2016