Matthew Botos

I enjoy Morgan Spurlock’s work; both Super Size Me and 30 Days provide a fresh, provocative look at modern issues. It got me thinking: how would each of us cope if we had to live a lifestyle opposite to our own for 30 days?

The first step in this thought experiment is figuring out what that personally meaningful opposite is, be it a belief, lifestyle, or position on a certain issue. For me, I think something that shapes my life significantly is the regular use of computers. It’s how I earn a living, communicate with friends and family, and even meet women. How would I fare if unplugged for a month?

First, I’d have to take a different job than software development. Instead of building virtual products in essentially physical isolation, I’d have to create something more concrete with much more face to face interaction. The latter would definitely be an improvement; for all our technology, communication is much more effective in the physical word, from nonverbal cues to having the full attention of both parties. Without the power of computers to fall back on, solutions would also likely be simpler with better planning before implementation.

Socially, email would be out, replaced with phone calls and gasp real letters. The impact of that would be huge - it’s easy to lose track of people when an email or two falls by the wayside, but a phone call or letter would really carry the message that someone’s important to you. Real world dating would likely continue to be a disaster; just meeting people on the street has never been my forte. The one saving grace would be that getting off the computer would mean being more socially active, and meeting more people naturally.

Finally, there’d the impact on my free time. I’ve always enjoyed mountain biking and snowboarding because they got me outside; photography offers some of the same draw, but is now tied to the computer at some point. Picking up a film camera and trading blogs for some classic books on technique would certainly change the way I shoot. Without the instant feedback and zero-cost of clicking a digital shutter, I’d have to learn to be more discriminating and get it right in-camera the first time.

Overall, it would probably be a beneficial experience. Being cut from the easy isolation and busy multi-tasking of the computer world would force me to be more social and develop additional skill in my other passions. Realizing that, there are certainly some smaller changes I could make to my life.

How would you lead an opposite life for 30 days?