Society has changed tremendously since the original setting of "Rip Van Winkle", which took place around the Revolutionary war in America. Presently, life seems to move more rapidly; all information is readily available, electronics and media dominate lifestyles, and people are easily connected to anywhere in the world. Humans can accomplish tasks easier with technology, can travel efficiently, and communicate easily.The man who took on the "Van Winkle Project", has chosen to turn a blind eye to all news, weather, sports, and entertainment for a year. He is metaphorically going to "sleep" like Rip Van Winkle in Washington Irving's short story. The feat this man accomplished is incredible. He conquered psychological yearnings to satiate his curiosity of what is happening in the world. Because he was not "allowed" to examine any type of news, this self-established barrier would make one more curious, but this man was able to persevere. Also despite being accustomed to being somewhat aware of the affairs of the world, this man had to all of a sudden go into "ghost mode" and adjust to be accommodated with a void. When the man "woke up", the world can assume that he had a lot of catching up to do on TV.
Going an entire year without any knowledge of current events is certainly a remarkable feat in today's world, but was it really necessary and was it worth the "lost" year?
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