Rip Van Winkle Project--Denying Notifications

People are dependent on many things in the 21st century. Cell phones, tv's, and the news-- all three are distractions that are seemingly essential to human life. What one man did to combat the ever-increasing flow of information and dependence is something so simple, yet profound, that everyone should attempt. The man, a professor and blogger who goes under the pseudonym of "Birdie" in his blog, decided to go one year without ever seeing, hearing, or reading the news. He called his project "The Rip Van Winkle Project." This unenlightnement, in a sense, is a crucial undertaking, essential to the understanding of what people are capable of and what their essence is. SImplicity is a value overlooked too often in our modern society. What “Birdie” did should be emulated by people around the world to realize that they are capable of living without constant notifications and updates. Without the constant notices, people would become more interpersonal and connected to one another. In the end, this is all “Birdie” wanted.