After my journalism class nominated me to write an article about not using technology for the whole day, I learned through six torturous hours what it meant to go about everyday activities without using any form of technology. These days, when technology is found around every corner, I found it quite frustrating to give it up.

My tech-free journey took place on Monday last month, but the preparation began the day before. I had to get enough food and think of activities that would replace TV and my cell phone. Since taking out food from the refrigerator would be using technology, I had to buy food similar to what a camper might pick: bananas for carbs to replace food such as pasta, protein bars to substitute for meat or fish, water to stay hydrated, oranges for vitamin C, and chocolate–just in case of a sweet tooth. As for activities, I had A Farewell To Arms by Hemingway, AP Calculus homework and colored pencils and paper.

I did not begin the tech-free timer until I had breakfast and did all my morning chores. In other words, I had already cheated.

Once the timer began, I grabbed my Calculus homework. After about ten unsuccessful minutes of doing math, I threw it on the floor, remembering that I needed to use my battery-powered TI-84 calculator to solve most of the problems. Of course, I could have gone without a calculator, but I decided against it, since integrals take more time and skill to solve without using any technology.

Not wanting to do any work, I thought of drawing something silly to kill time. This activity did produce a picture of a penguin, but I refused to draw anything else because I was dying to listen to some of my music. Proven fact, drawing without music is not fun. This activity only lasted about 30 minutes and still failed to entertain me.

I thought about sending one of my friends a letter, but I decided it would take a couple of days to get to her anyways.

My last resort was reading a book. I started A Farewell to Arms some time ago and decided it would be an appropriate activity for such an occasion. I read for an hour but then started falling asleep. As cliché as it sounds, it was not the book; it was me.

Eventually, my tech-free adventure forced me into taking a nap. I swear I dreamed of watching TV and texting.

I reached the six-hour mark, and all my food was gone. My time spent had been unproductive except for the reading.

While I could not go an inch without needing to use technology, I realize that it is not that bad to be dependent on it. Yes, I would probably not survive the end of the world, but then again, we all lived through Dec. 21, 2012.

In my opinion, our tech-dependency has led society to better and faster communication and to more efficient work. We have evolved through more advanced technology, which has improved our everyday lives. There are obviously downsides to this picture, but if we use our technology responsibly, there is no need to go tech-free unless for the purpose of punishment.

In the end, I’m glad I had six hours all to myself to finally slow down from my crazy schedule and enjoy a peaceful day without all the drama from Grey’s Anatomy or having to worry about the success of team Blake on The Voice. I suppose that was a good thing.