'Wi-Fi' and 'Less' are two words that are not wanted to be seen anywhere near each other.

Its crazy to think how much people, especially those living in economically developed countries, rely on Wi-Fi now. It is quite a magical thing as it can hold endless possibilities and is used on daily basis by the majority of people and it's only going to become stronger. However, it can’t always be there; people don’t realise how much they use it until… It is gone.

I do however, know the feeling of Wi-Fi deprivation since I personally experienced having no Internet, for precisely 6 days in the middle of a school term. I also didn’t have any 4G left on my phone ... just my luck. The only signs of Internet were on my parents phone but that was only in desperate needs, to research something for homework. This made me realise that I myself was caught under the spell of the Internet. Having no Internet limited us and neither my family nor I had the power to search something and have answers given to us immediately, even YouTube was diabled – which is a very popular source for entertainment, especially for children of the recent generations.

Honestly, in the first day I found it hard but once it actually sunk in that I no longer had access to the Internet, the true me that has been hiding behind the image of a city girl, shone through. At heart I prefer being in places filled with nature, this is partly the reason because my family is from the South of Poland, and live in rural areas that I love going to when visiting Poland.

The time I used to spend browsing through the Internet, watching YouTube or looking through social media, I decided to spend it on my hobbies. This helped me find a part of myself, which was lost in the middle of my busy life. I was able to find time to read and tick off a few books from my reading list, go out running as well as have time to just draw/doodle from the heart.

This experience has only made me realise how much the Internet has taken over my life and how much time is wasted due to it. I only wish for people to take regular breaks from it and focus on themselves and on their surroundings without worrying what others think of them. This can be especially hard for teenagers, and I would know since I am one myself but having the ability to just stop, and take in what’s happening in your own life is in my opinion very important. It has taught me a lesson and I hope this story has made you open your eyes and at least try; try to ignore social media and do more of what truly makes you happy.

By Paulina Tobola - Gumley House