The Nevada Sagebrush

Computer trouble leads to life of Luddite

Sunday, October 25, 2009 - 11:24 PM

Emily Katseanes

My computer broke.

On the downside, I can no longer listen to music, watch DVDs or do homework in bed. On the upside, I did gain a $2,000 doorstop.

The other relative upside of this debacle is that my 5-year-old Dell, which survived the wars of my early college years, lost three keys (C, K and L) and took five minutes to open a Web browser, is going to be replaced by an early graduation gift from my parents.

But until that new shiny laptop shows up, I’m living in my 1930s-era apartment very much like people in the 1930s.

I live alone, so there’s no other computer. I do own a TV, but since I’m unwilling to pay for cable and don’t own a working DVD player, it’s pretty much a nightstand. Ever since moving out of my parents’ house, I haven’t owned a CD player or radio and my apartment lacks a dishwasher, clothes washer, dryer or, really, much insulation.

The first evening of being stranded from modern life was the most productive evening of my life.

Everything was quiet and serene. It’s just like being in a cottage, I thought.

I took a nap, which was wonderful. Then I washed about 4,000 dirty dishes, which was necessary. I did homework. I swept and washed the kitchen floor. I drank a glass of wine. I made my bed. I ate a piece of toast. I cleaned up my toast mess.

And then, I got bored.

After about four hours of quietly focusing on one thing at a time, I ran to the Knowledge Center to multitask my rotten little brains out. I almost felt dirty sprinting back to the wired life so soon, but man, it was like a homecoming to be Facebooking, e-mailing (on two accounts!), typing a paper, writing a column, shopping for new computers and chatting all at the same time.

Technology changing the way people work and socialize is nothing new. Before color televisions, people dreamt in black and white. Now, virtually no one does.

I’ve been brought up with computers and the multitasking magic that comes with them.

This probably isn’t good or bad, as long as we remember to focus singularly when it’s really important.

It’s hard to do only two things at once when you can have endless Web browsers open, but when papers, e-mails and Facebook are all pressing, stressful matters, it can help to pare down and do things step by step. Similarly, when I’m used to texting all the time, it feels unnatural to turn it off, but whomever I’m talking with face-to-face appreciates it.

Still, I am looking forward to the day my shiny, new laptop shows up. I miss checking my e-mail while I drink coffee in the morning, watching DVDs while I do homework and sending work e-mails in my slippers.

Besides, what’s the point of playing hooky from class if I can’t use that time to surf YouTube?

Emily Katseanes is the Perspectives editor. She jumped ship and ordered a Mac laptop. Reach her at ekatseanes@nevadasagebrush.com.