The author decided to go a week without internet to see how they would cope without being connected. They found that their sleep improved without checking their phone in bed at night. As a student, going more than a week without internet is virtually impossible as work and keeping in touch with friends would suffer. However, the author recommends occasionally logging off, even if just for a day or two, to avoid being constantly connected.

1. Could I live a week without
internet?

2. • I decided to go a week without internet to see
how I'd cope. Would my social life suffer? How
would I keep up-to-date with news and
trends? And did this mean I'd have to find my
real-life calculator?
• I began to think of my week "unplugged" as a
kind of retreat. In a world saturated with
images, we feel a need to document our every
action; just recently I caught myself
Instagramming my bowl of morning porridge.

3. • As the week progressed I found myself
sleeping far better – simply because I wasn't
lying in bed for hours double-checking my
newsfeed.
• The internet renders real-life interaction null
and void, for students it's a life-line: family,
friends from home and friends on gap years or
placements abroad are all just one click away.

4. • Did I reach any conclusions during my week
without internet? Yes – as a student, it's
virtually impossible to go without internet for
a significant period of time. Not only do you
miss out on social events, but your work
suffers too. However, I'd also recommend
logging off occasionally; even if just for a day
or two.