Then vs. Now- The Van Winkle Project

While the time between 2011 and 2014 is only three years, times have certainly changed. With technology rapidly advancing, the way we interact with others is different. Everyone is constantly interested in what is going on in the world, whether it be broadcasted on the TV screen, posted on social media, or overheard during a conversation. Nowadays, it would be almost impossible to go a year without hearing of any news. This is what one man did in a project he called the “Van Winkle Project.” He went from 2010-2011 avoiding all news on current events. He went to extreme measures to not hear about anything that was going on in the world. This is similar to the story of Rip Van Winkle, a man who disappears into the mountains for twenty years, and emerges a stranger in his own town. While the man who did this may have been able to avoid all news in 2011, one would have a difficult time doing this today, now that technology plays a larger role in our lives.