A Year Unplugged: A Family's Life Without Technology

by Sharael Kolberg

In A Year Unplugged, Sharael Kolberg chronicles her family’s brave attempt to wean themselves from technology in an effort to reclaim quality family time. The Kolbergs decided to turn off their television, unplug their iPods, iPhones, laptops and digital cameras, and disconnect from e-mail, cell phones and the Internet. Not an easy task.

Sharael’s true-life tale explores how dependent we are on technology and the impact it has on interpersonal relationships and society. Through thought-provoking, humorous and heart-wrenching narrative, Sharael hopes to compel readers to open dialogue about the conscious use of technology.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Memoir

389 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2015

About the author

As a nationally published journalist, Sharael Kolberg has been writing for various magazines, newspapers and Web sites for nearly 20 years. Her work has appeared in publications such as Outside magazine, Sunset Magazine and Working Woman magazine. She has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Hawaii.

Sharael and her husband Jeff enjoy raising their daughter in Orange County, CA.

You can see Sharael's work at www.sharael.com.

Reviews

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is awful. Review to come shortly. I can't decide where to start: with the author and her five year old's conversation about hair on Mommy's vagina, or the author's descriptive imagery of her taking a pregnancy test. Seriously. This book is awful.

UPDATED REVIEW:

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This is one of the worst books I have ever read. The premise is so intriguing, and the idea of 'unplugging' is so wonderful in this day where we seem to have to rely on technology for so many things. But the writing was terrible, some of the stories included were completely pointless and irrelevant (FILLER!!), and this was way too long and repetitive.

Now that I have had a day away, the book is still awful. Here we go...

First, the book was super dated with all the Hannah Montana references ALL THE TIME. The family did this little experiment in 2009, but the book did not come out until 2015. Perhaps they could not find a publisher willing to put out this crap until they begged and pleaded? I have no idea. And in addition, why was their five year old allowed to watch so much TV to begin with? It just didn't make sense to me that such a young child would be so obsessed with a show that is not even their age demographic - even pre-Crazy Miley.

From the get-go it was hard to tell if this chick even likes being a parent - something she herself has to explicitly state that she does, seeing as how even she had to recognize how much she bitched and moaned about the difficulties of keeping a child entertained all the time when all she wants is her morning tea. It was seriously ridiculously.

As I said, the premise itself was interesting, but the author was not the person to write it. I have not read a more obnoxious, pretentious book in a really long time. I stopped counting how many times she mentioned that her family lived in Silicon Valley. We get it, you live in Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley. She strikes me as the type of woman you would see on one of the Real Housewives shows, it was that absurd. Really driving home the point, she included a pointless (to the story of being 'unplugged') anecdote about how a homeless man rejected her offer of clothing in the summer. She gets all pouty because he didn't want to carry the additional clothing, and what was the point? To make herself look all heroic and caring, only to be spurned by a this ungrateful homeless man who should have been glad to take whatever scraps she tossed him? Blech. Don't forget the part where she finally says she has had so much wine and chocolate, she has to hire a personal trainer to lose the weight. And then the family gets a Prius. BlahBlahBlah. Oh, plus the Humane Society (OF SILICON VALLEY) built such a nice facility it was really like a hotel for dogs. Can't forget to mention that.

Speaking of Silicon Valley, counting the references to Apple would be another fun game you could play which would be more entertaining than reading this book. I am fairly certain that Apple sponsored this book, due to the insane amount of times she mentioned her iPod, iTunes, Mac, iPad...again absurd and so pretentious. Maybe I should say 'pretentious' in this review as many times as she mentioned they live in Silicon Valley and exclusively use Apple products.

Into the story itself though, I truly do not understand being SO dependent on technology. Yes, I am typing this on my computer, but you have to use some technology. I own a Kindle, but always prefer an actual book in my hand and truthfully kind of regret even bothering with the Kindle in the first place. I'm not big on TV, though we do watch Sesame Street and Daniel Tiger and Super Why! - all educational things. Never in a million years would I let Eleanor watch Hannah Montana at FIVE. Eleanor has a toy laptop that again is all educational - music, letters, numbers, etc. I am in no way worried about Eleanor not having computer skills. Those will come in time. Most things can be okay in moderation and technology is one of them. They got rid of cameras, laptops, phones, etc for personal use, and missed out recording big moments, like their daughter's Kindergarten graduation. That is excessive. Yes, be in the moment, but also capture the memories for later in life. And why was the family so dependent on using their email? Everyone was so pissed that she was not emailing them family updates. Who even uses email that much?? I send my mom pictures of Eleanor, but I am not giving these long family updates. I use the phone and actually TALK to people. I don't even. Ugh. So stupid. And the thing with her going on and on bout how much time it takes to deal with all the digital pictures she takes, because of the snapping photos, editing them, uploading them, etc.

As a side note, the author kept saying 'on email'. "Oh, I'm not on email". YOU CAN'T BE ON EMAIL. IT IS A SERVICE YOU USE. This was one of the most irritating things. You can be 'on Facebook', it is a specific site. But all the time 'on email' this 'on email' that. Another testament to the poor writing.

Anyway, so once they get rid of their technology, this mom has to figure out how to actually entertain her child. They buy a bunch of new toys and art supplies at Toys R Us (I think) and make sure to tell us they spent $300. She talks about doing some activities, but there's not much mention at least early on about museums, zoos, the library, etc. So many things to do, but none of those cross her mind? Oh well, at least they can finally start bonding now that all the technology is out of the house.

Also, not having any technology makes you forget to take your birth control pills for six days, just an FYI. Then you get to tell everyone how you are so worried about being pregnant and feeling selfish for not wanting another child blah blah.

All in all, gosh, I wish I could be a stay at home mom who does nothing but drink wine, eat chocolate, and edit my zillions of digital photos all day while ignoring my child and letting the TV entertain her. It is such a tough life in Silicon Valley.

Seriously awful, do not bother.

P.S. I am almost embarrassed for this chick with how obsessed she is with American Idol and publicly announcing it. Even in 2009.

[Sandra "Jeanz" · Rating 4 out of 5]

INITIAL THOUGHTS
I do enjoy a good non fiction read, and I haven't read such a book for a while now so when I came across this one, it became a must read for me. MY thoughts approaching reading this book is who would voluntarily signup to do something like this? The idea of giving up technology is a scary one really. I tend to become over anxious whenever my laptop is away for repair! A year is a long time, how will they manage to stay in touch, or for example book a holiday etc etc. I am definitely interested to see how they cope.

MY REVIEW
I downloaded this ebook for free from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. The cover has quite a simplistic look with the word year being a cable and plug forming it. I guessed from the type of plug featured that this is not in the UK as we have three pin plugs, unlike the one featured on the cover. I think the style of the book backs up the style of life the author and her family are aiming for , a more basic one without the distractions and ties of technology. Would the cover attract my attention enough to pick it up from a book store shelf? Truthfully yes, I do like a quirky read and the cover fits the book well and would make me want to learn more about it.
We begin the book by meeting the family. There's Sharael, a former web producer, her husband Jeff a marketing executive in the medical device industry, and their daughter Katelynn who is almost six years old. So I should probably explain how this relatively normal every day family decided to undertake such a strange challenge. Katelynn had been really quite ill so had been somewhat pampered and allowed to watch more TV than normal. Jeff and Sharael discuss how now Katelynn is well again, the TV watching needs to be cut down again. Then he goes even further and says lets go without the TV for a whole week. When Sharael agrees and goes even further by suggesting cutting out technology, he readily agrees as he doesn't think that there will be much difference in their lives. It's only later that night when she is laid awake that Sharael considers what sort of challenge she has set in motion, "No Internet", how will she get the weather forecast? how will she cope without the parenting tips she gleans from Facebook? the list goes on and on.
I love the scenario Sharael retells of needing parental tips when her daughter Katelynn say the inevitable response of "Noooooooo" when she is being offered food. In fact sharael likens Katelynn's response as being the equivalent of asking Katelynn to eat the poison apple from Snow White! So the big switch off begins during "National Turn Off TV" week 20th-26th of April in 2009. This special week was a shock to me as I have to admit to have never hearing of it prior to this book. It was mutually decided between Jeff & Sharael that they would cut out their technology slowly over 14 days. The first item of technology to be removed is the TV, then day two is cell phones. Though they do each have a basic cell phone for extreme emergencies. Day nine is a difficult one too, giving up social media, so no facebook, no twitter etc. I think it can safely be said that they really didn't know fully what they were taking on with this No Technology Challenge. Both Sharael and Jeff have decided to document their challenge in the hope that it will inspire other people to seriously look at what technology they use and how they use it as well as how much they use it too. The couple decide that they need to purchase some other toys and distractions to keep Katelynn busy instead of her usual watching TV or using her handheld imac. They take a trip to Toys R US and spend roughly $300, and get some strange looks as all the toys, and board games are going through the till. Sharael has the urge to explain her purchases but the cashier really isn't interested and just slides the items through the till and asks for the payment.
They soon discover how difficult it is going to be enforcing the no TV rule with Katelynn. Luckily they haven't just unplugged the TV, they have removed it from their home, so it's out of temptations way.
The book takes the form a diary which covers the struggles of going without technology, but also puts across the positives and tells the reader how this family fill the spaces that technology leaves them. Sharael explains the isolation she felt when others were receiving school newsletters. The guilt of her child being different and at one point being upset when another child picks on her daughter because they no longer have a TV.
Sharael also shares the new experiences she has and the way her bond with her daughter grows through the reading they do and the gardening projects they undertake.
We also learn about Jeff and how he struggles with no home internet access to use for his work life. The nights he has to go out to search for internet access to finish work on his laptop.
The "less technology" approach even causes misunderstandings and tension within the family. A cousin who thinks they are being selfish and doesn't initially understand what they are trying to achieve. There are also some rather tense moments when Jeff wanted to "cheat" the rules they had made, like watching old classics on TV at Christmas.
Jeff and Sharael are made to feel ashamed at times when they have admit that they have no internet access, and are seen as weird for trying to use less technology. I do ponder what would have happened if their daughter had been older and more technology savvy when they removed technology. I expect it would have been a much more difficult task then. However that was not the case and I think their daughter Katelynn did really well and has probably learnt a lot of lessons and ways of coping with awkward situations that may perhaps have changed her whole way of thinking.
So did I enjoy the book? It really was an interesting read, it helps you realise how much your life, family connections, work and leisure time relies on technology. Something as simple as removing the TV and replacing the TV watching with reading. This book really shows the positive and negatives of undertaking such a task as using less technology.
Would I recommend the book? Yes, I enjoyed reading about this families life and at times battle with less technology. If you are the sort of person who thinks they don't use much technology, this book really opens your eyes to how much you do rely on the mobile phone, the TV, and the Internet. If you are the other side of the coin and know how much you use and rely on the internet, this book will give you ways to reduce your usage and ways to implement change for the better. As well as give you ideas as to what you can do with your freed up time.
Would I want to read other books like this one? I do enjoy reading non-fiction books such as these and this one did remind me a little of a book I read previously about a man travelling the world without using money. So yes I'd like to read more books similar to this one. It's also the ultimate read for someone who loves "people watching" you get to see life through another persons eyes.
Would I read other books by this author? I would certainly show an interest in anything written by this author in the future. I liked her straight to the point honest approach.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Something totally different, kind of a social experiment.

[SundayAtDusk · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Kolberg family gave up TV, computers, iPods, cell phones, digital cameras and DVDs for one year starting in April 2009. This book is like a memoir type telling of what went on that year the family unplugged. (Sharael Kolberg writes very much like a woman who has spent a lot of time in mommy groups.) Technology could still be used at work by husband Jeff Kolberg, cell phones could be used for emergencies only, and television could be watch at other places outside of the home, except at the gym. TV was very difficult to give up at first, especially for Mrs. Kolberg and their 5-year-old daughter Kaitlyn. One week when her husband was out of town for work, she actually took her daughter to a cheap motel to stay overnight just so they could watch American Idol! It was times like that when the book seemed terribly irritating. Other irritating times involved whining from one of the three family members about all they had to suffer without technology.

Yet, there were extremely interesting parts of the story, especially the reaction they got from others about being unplugged. Some saw their mission as intriguing, while others felt they were being strange, difficult, anti-social or uncivilized. Having a child in school proved to be a real problem, since schools now communicate with parents so much through the internet. Nevertheless, the family trudged on with way more time spent talking, reading, playing together, traveling, gardening and doing all sorts of other outdoor activities. The one truly disappointing thing about this book was there was no epilogue. There was no talk at all about what happened once the year was up. There was much talk about what they might continue doing without when the year was over, but no definite description of what life for the Kolberg family has been like technology wise since 2010. Why?

(Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and the author or publisher.)

[Gill's likes reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do love to read about how people live their lives different to mine and I was not disappointed. Kolberg is a great writer, there is no superfluous drivel, only what we want to read and it is such an enjoyable read.

A Year Unplugged: A Family’s Life Without Technology reminds us how our lives have changed beyond recognition within a relatively short time. For us older people, we remember as children living the life she has written about (and I am only in my sixties!) However, for Sharael and her family her life has always included technology so how could she possibly know any different, especially as we now live in a world where technology is the norm.

This was one brave decision for her to make especially for family with a child aged 6. I loved reading how not only did their lives change but they grew as people. There is an envy that I feel at how they pared their lives back to a simplicity focussing on peace within themselves and nature around them.

Katelyn loves Hannah Montana and the funniest line I am reading is this:

“Yes, she is overly commercialised, but the bottom line is that Miley Cyrus was a little girl with a dream of becoming a singer and now she’s living that dream. I want the same for Katelyn, minus the flashy clothes.”

Not sure of I know of anyone who wants their daughter to emulate Miley Cyrus! (I think she may have changed her mind later).

I love how there are many intelligent and pertinent quotes throughout this book. Kids are cash cows, and Sharael show us this with Disney’s mission statement which is,

“To create high-quality content and apply innovative technology to raise the level of consumer experience in a way that differentiates Disney.”

She then describes the must-have merchandise that accompanies all Disney films generating even more income.

There are so many wonderful quotes thoughtfully accompanying her story I felt totally inspired by reading it.

“First I cleaned my garage, now I am cleaning my mind of clutter. Reading now allows me to enjoy some peace and quiet, both externally and internally.”

I can identify with this totally, moving to a smaller place I simply got rid of (freecycled) most of my possessions and it was so cathartic.

When we are so proud of multitasking Sharael shows how it is indicative of life crammed with exhaustive doing, instead of peacefully living.

The influence on six year old Katelyn is profound, of course she misses technology but she also embraces the world around her giving her a new perspective on life. Sharael volunteers gardening and creates a friendship garden in her home with her Katelyn.

“I had no idea that volunteering my time would inevitably lead to bonding with my daughter. What a wonderful gift.”

It is sadly obvious, how her husband Jeff is not able to unplug totally because of his job and therefore misses out on giving more attention to their daughter missing out on the same closer bond. Kolberg shows how people get sucked into the norm of husbands working full time, then when they get home to ‘finish/prepare a report’ for the next day. Yes they spend their time hiking and other outdoor activities instead of sitting in front of a tv screen is positive family time, but it is a sorry state for the world to be in where companies insist on 12 hour day working time to ‘keep in the game’ so to speak.

“I had an epiphany. I might not be who I think I am. I thought I could not live without technology, but I can. Technology has been such a huge part of who I am - defining my career, social life, relationships, education, interests. I’m realising that I can be someone other than who I thought.”

Writing this review I realised I had noted so many passages that inspired me and wanted to personally keep. In fact if I passed on all of them I would basically be re-writing the book here!!

Whoever thinks unplugging is easy, read this book. Whoever thinks technology does not affect your children, read this book. Read it anyway because there are lots of ideas to bring you closer together as a family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many thanks to the publisher via NetGalley for an ebook copy in return for my honest review.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a detailed and dogged memoir of a year during which a mother, formerly web designer and journalist, and her office-working husband agreed to unplug from TV and the internet and all media digital. They wanted to see if it would improve their quality of life especially with their young daughter, who saw a lot of TV when her parents were busy. Or would the problems mount?

Part of the ease of switching off was that the little girl was not a moody teen, of course; she had no real option but to do as her parents said and her mother was keen to entertain her, mind-numbing though it might be. The best thing for me was seeing that Sharael initially just had colouring, parks and swings in mind, but over the year learnt to be extremely creative and adaptable, with nature and craft to the fore.

Sharael also had to hike instead of use gym treadmills because the gym had giant screens. She could carry a mobile phone for emergencies only, and had trouble getting back to a basic model when shops didn't know how to sell them anymore. But there are few payphones left and she had also to use maps instead of net searches, and post invitations instead of e-mailing them. Her daughter's school sent everything out by e-mail, but was willing to help in her year's mission. Friends and family tended to forget Sharael as it was easier to post updates once to everyone and get on with a busy life than to phone individually. Some people were annoyed. But people she met were delighted that Shareal had taken the time to phone them or meet them in person and helped all they could.

If you think you could declutter your life, start as Sharael did by dumping habits like TV and pointless surfing. Then see what value you can add by opening your eyes and doing something new instead of staring at a phone all day. Do we need the net? Sharael found that so much is organised around net communication, for speed and simplicity, that we probably will not want to do without completely. Her patient husband had to drive out to find a carpark with Wi-Fi to send in work to his office at night - enough was enough and they agreed that work had to come first. Their daughter had a busier, happier, fitter lifestyle as far as I can see, so families can pick up some great tips. This book is worth a read and a chuckle.

[Rebekah Crain · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you look at the world around you, immediately around you right now, what do you see? Most likely your reply would include one, at the very least, of some of the following technology: a computer, a cell phone, a TV, a game console, a dvr or DVD player, a digital camera, a tablet, or a camcorder. And that's the thing, everywhere you look these days you are bombarded with technological gadgets, gizmos, and toys. I have to say that while I, in my personal life right now, don't think I could fully unplug like this author and her family did, that I do definitely see the benefits. A Life Unplugged was all about this family's day to day journey of completely stepping back from this technological mindset and getting more in tune with self, family, and nature.

Written in a journal form, the author shares her thoughts and opinions regarding her experiences as she said goodbye to and lived without the majority of her family's frivolous techno indulgences for a full 365 days. It's clear to see it was not easy, but as her story unfolds it was evident it could work. There were many struggles, and even tears, along the way. However, once giving up these things for just one year, this family learned more about themselves and bettered themselves in ways they most likely would never have discovered otherwise. Their stress, to a certain extent, decreased, and with it the headache of a constantly going and going mindset. Through unplugging they learned to get back to more of the basics, to experience new things, and to really look for the quality - not the quantity- in life.

Reading this book has inspired me to want to cut back and limit the amount of technology my family and I indulge in and incorporate into our daily lives. And while, again due to our current situation, I don't foresee doing anything quite as all encompassing as this author did, I can for sure see putting small changes into effect.

Thanks NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this review opportunity. I'm really happy I accepted this one. :)

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The idea of walking away from all technology for one year is the premise of this book. The author and her family decide its time to get back to basics and start to connect with each other in a more meaningful way. This means being present in the moment and paying total attention to each other.

It's interesting to read about how this all played out over the year and how friends and family reacted. You also will see the impact it has on day to day tasks that we now take for granted as we all rely on our "gadgets." It will definitely make you stop and reevaluate your life and how you spend your days.

*I received an e-copy of this book from NetGalley.

[Titi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm giving this two stars because I'm weird about this impossible star system (I changed my mind). Anyway. Eh. There were a lot of generalizations in this book, but I'm reviewing it from my laptop, after reading it on my phone, so maybe it was never going to be for me. There are family members I only know because the Internet made it possible for us to get connected, etc etc. There's nostalgia for a simpler time as if people who grew up during that time chose it, as if technology didn't advance in response to the inconveniences of that simpler time.

Also, this book was too long for the point it was trying to make.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from netgalley.com. While I was intrigued by the premise of being a family living in silicon valley for a year without technology, I found that I did not care for the writing style. It was choppy, without any insights or break throughs, just an day-to-day account of the authors year. I had hoped that this book would be inspirational and share the ups and downs of the experience, but found myself struggling to stay with the book to the end.

[Iffet Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG I would never be that brave but it was good fun reading and finding out just how dependant we are on our mechanical gadgets! Very brave family. This is one to give students as they leave and realise they have to do without when they are starting out. It can be done but not by me! What was that mobile, you need feeding - coming!! lol