Media Fasting: No Media for a Week

Today begins my week-long Media Fast, my twice-a-year vacation from all media. I avoid anything that was produced for an audience. No books, magazines, newspapers, movies, DVDs, TV, music, or blogs.

I stay reasonable about all this. If I walk into a coffee shop in which a TV sits in one corner, blaring CNN, then I don’t run out screaming. I just ignore it.

I use my time this week in 4 ways:

1. I visit local gardens, parks, and museums.
2. I work. The Fast lets me focus on my projects more than I otherwise “can.”
3. I try odd, fun little projects I otherwise “wouldn’t have the time for.” I might try to write a song, or make a puppet, or cook something exotic and time-consuming.
4. I observe my reaction to my Fast, and others’ relationships to media. I’m always shocked at how much I crave a movie or book by the end of the week, and the vast quantities of media that we all consume.

And at the end of it, I’m glad to go back to my beloved books and anime, but I’m always glad I fasted. And I always think, “I should do this more often.”