deconstruct |ˌdēkənˈstrəkt|
verb [ trans. ]
analyze (a text or a linguistic or conceptual system) by deconstruction, typically in order to expose its hidden internal assumptions and contradictions and subvert its apparent significance or unity.

...is that the word you meant to use? ;) By the way, I liked you peeking at the end. <3

I'm not able to do this fast fully since I'm doing NaNoWriMothis month, but I have enabled a bit of a media fast this month already. I had my husband set up the router so that I can't get online for six hours each day. That way I won't get distracted and I can focus on reaching my word count each day.

Between that, and the fact that I don't watch TV or listen to the radio, I'm good, right?

*hopes*

Max, You've been in my head lately! Too spooky. I work at home, so I just leave my computer open all day. I've been thinking how I need to just shut it down in the evening at least, so my husband and I aren't at opposite ends of the couch with our laptops open and the tv on. I guess I also better buy some bananas to hug! I'll let you know how it goes.

I'll do it. i am going to play the piano.

LOVE it.

Max, what is the music you used for this video? I enjoyed both the jazzy song and the operatic piece. (And yes, I realize it's absurd for me to start my media fast by asking you about media, while using media. It'll get better after work, I promise!)

@veggiemar - no worries, "after work" is still a looooong time coming! The first song was Lily Allen, "He Wasn't There" - and the classical was "Gesualdo: O vos omnes" - available for free download at http://www.musopen.org/, a website with a lot of public domain classical music. Thanks for watching!

I will try--I have the shakes just thinking about it!

You meant media fest, right ?

Ok, talking and reading night tonight...

I will fast all weekend. I'm going to the mountains so no Internet, no TV and no radio. Yeah!

It's really tough to switch off. When I moved to my current home 5 years ago, I chose not to hook up cable and never regretted the choice but with the raft of online offerings Netflik streaming, etc I've noticed that my consumption is going up again.

Thanks for the reminder that it's good to completely disconnect once in a while. Maybe I'll have a media free day once a month.

Yes! Time for family game night. Blokus, Quirkle with the kids & then Ticket to Ride with my hubby. And no, that last game isn't code for something else :)

We've been cable free for about a year now. We really only get ABC and sometime NBC with our little antenna (which is all I cared about in the beginning, because all I watched was LOST... :( RIP). That said, we still have internet, so we watch some stuff on there and listen to music or just cruise around. This is actually not too hard for me. Yeah, I google a million and one things a day, but we routinely have evenings where we just take long baths and/or read books all evening or whatever. We did this last night. I did promise my daughter that if she got a "green light" in kindergarten today, we could watch a movie. If she gets in trouble, we'll do this today. If not, we'll do it tomorrow.

Not very excited about this. Tried it in past cures and it didn't give me any new connection to my house or sense of inner peace. I'll pass this time.

I love this. I'm trying to finish a quilt. So instead of sewing while watching TV(always a little dicey), I will shut it all off.

No music?? Can't do it.

I'm hosting a dinner today with some girlfriends and I HAVE to have music for that. But I'll turn off the tv and stay away from surfing the web...maybe I'll read a book instead!

When it was Get Rid of One Thing last week I got rid of our TV. It is so freeing! Fasting the internet, will be a challenge, more time to surface clean and declutter!

That video was hysterical, not just one laugh but serious laughter. Thank you!

Although I'd love to record some of vintage HGTV faves, I gave up cable nearly a decade ago when rising prices and shifting channels on the basic plan seemed planned to annoy people into moving to premium digital packages. I also ditched my tv in 2008 because I simply didn't want to deal with lugging it up a steep flight of stairs during a move :)

My primary tv problem is that I got impossibly behind on my vhs recordings and I'm sure the same will happen with dvr files if I get cable again.

I'm also a night person that usually doesn't tire until around 1am and I have to avoid too much stimulation else I'll stay up too late. This includes even my beloved books.

I admire those who purge their home of Television and its best friend, Cable. That is one brave, brave move. I think that it would be much easier if it was just me. But significant other and children kinda puts a crimp in my ambition to carry through on this.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

I'm turning this off for the day now. Thanks, Maxwell, for another inspiring day's video. I'll try to make the best of it. Going to do some sewing projects I've been putting off.

Until tomorrow--ta!

where can I get my boyfriend some of those socks?

I think I can do this! I feel like I'm cheating though because it's headboarding part II tonight and I won't have the TV on anyways. Music however is a bit trickier, but will try. And I vow I will not check my iphone every half hour for emails :)

I work from home and the internet is part of it...there is no real "get home from work" so I am going to have to just decide to be done at some point! This one is hard which means it is really needed. Thank you for the kick in the butt I need.

Oh and I wasn't even going to try to purge books from yesterday's cure... but this morning, putting on my socks, I actually looked at each book (instead of the bookcase as a whole) and there are at least 6 books I can give away without any pain, hee hee.
I think I might be gearing up for something big here... like dumping my box of university readers & notes in the recycling. baby steps.

i agree that we need a total break from the media probably once a week, or at the very least once a month. relating to the digital age, this is interesting story which i just heard on NPR a couple days ago: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130698574

it is SO hard to spend the entire day without the phone, computer, ipod, radio, tv, etc. the best thing to do is to get out of the house and into the great outdoors.

My family has been fasting for two weeks, since we moved in to our new house. No internet, no tv, my 5 years old makes music though LOL

I've been noticing the quiet when I first get home, and near darkness, and have thought about not turning on the TV but hadn't considered no music or computer either. I write and journal on my netbook, but I can not do that one night. Okay, I'm going to give it a try, but not tonight. Thursday night is the best TV night right now, but I'll try it another weeknight--maybe even tomorrow! Thanks for the idea.

There is no need to media fast. We can't anyway. Because that's how we live these days. Yet I understand that we shouldn't become slaves to technology.

Everything in moderation. Peace out.

My media fast will start... just as soon as I use my computer and TV to get me through my daily work out. Can I still do laundry and the dishes? Oh man... this might be interesting...

No music? Do people really just sit in silence (with the awesome exception of the person who will be playing the piano)?

Probably not gonna happen for me. I love the concept, but this is a girl whose top row of keys on her macbookpro are sticky because I spilled honey on them (while eating it directly from the jar in lieu of lunch). I almost died laughing at Maxwell crying next to the router. That would be my boyfriend!!

Quotation of the Day.

Oh no the thought of media fasting makes me sweat. I'm going to try my best.

I live alone.
I have no close family.
No pets or plants.

I will not exist without my media.

I live alone - I try to turn everything off for at least an hour or 90 minutes before I go to bed each night. What do I do? I prep the coffee for the next morning, I wash the dishes, I do a quick tidy around the house and put things in their place. I read a magazine, or a book, write in my journal or just think about the day that is almost done and the day that is coming ahead of me. Sometimes that jars a thought and I may grab my blackberry to send myself (or someone else) an email reminder...

Reading a book with faithful dog snoring next to me on the lounge. Nice. Thump thump thump. [Faithful dog tail wags approval.]

Um, tonight is Thursday.... which is my TV night.... I "fasted" yesterday... can that count?

I skipped this during the last Home Cure... I may have to skip this again. No, I will skip this again. I can turn off my television, put away the Blackberry, but the only way I've been able to fall asleep at a near decent hour is by listening to music.

I save media fasts for vacations. It's the only practical time to disconnect.

It's Friday here in Australia...and Friday night is unwind in front of the telly night! So not a good night for a media fast, but I promise I will (try to) do this at a later date. ;) By the way I have to report some success with my book purge, I tackled the kids books and have actually found a total of 37 lovely books to donate to charity! :)

I've never owned a T.V.

Not sure I want to do no music, though. Most nights I need John Coltrane and Charlie Parker to help me relax.

It doesn't seem like music should count as media. It's more in the category of flowers, art, etc. :( I'm not sure I could stand the silence. I am home alone so much and the silence is deafening...

I started a "computer fast" when I began teaching on-line regularly. Students tend to expect you to get back to them right away (even at 3 am) and I just got completely burned out. So now it is no computer one day a week (Saturday in my case) and it has made all the difference in how I deal with the world.

Dear Maxwell,
I love the video. I laugh a lot watching it! as soon as I saw it I turn off the computer and I had to drive my son to School and I did.
We had a beautiful rainy morning here in Silver Spring, MD. When I came back home I just decided to enjoy the rain, my home and the silence. It was a joyful experience. Thank you!

I can't do it tonight. I've been away for a few days and just read this. I need a couple more days to psych myself into this.

wow, no music?! and you just made get rid of some books too! To reset, music goes on and I start sewing, knitting, whatever. I cannot imagine doing this without music. maybe in the summer when i could listen to the street noise outside but now, nope. i gotta pass on this one :(

Uh.., not gonna happen. I thought this was 20 minutes a day? I will media fast for 20 minutes. Otherwise, my show is on tonight and if I don't watch it now I will have to find time some other day.

I know you're right, but I just cannot do this. I knit and read/write emails, watch television and talk on the phone all at once. I could try to give up one thing, I suppose, but all at once is too severe.

I haven't officially joined the cure but have been doing it anyway. As an ardent music lover, I had some reservations about this but did it anyway - it was so calming! I just pottered about the house and worked on my project (framing my old concert tickets) all the while feeling very soothed then went to bed without the usual busy-brain. I have every intention of making this a regular occurrence.

Also I love these videos, as a long time lurker to AT, this is the first time I've done the cure. These audiovisual treats make it very appealing!

How about an electronic *diet* instead? I've got to have my NPR if nothing else. Cutting off internet is a HUGE step for me.

Ha! I did this one without even trying. Last night was full of activity, I didn't even have time to check my email. When I saw the post today, I thought, how ironic! I must confess, though, I wasn't perfect. I always drift off to sleep with my MP3 playing an audiobook.
Generally, though, with 3 kids and working at a busy place with a lot of overheard paging, I really appreciate the quiet times.

Well I did it, it was hell on wheels, but I did it.

Are these records being transferred to the ipod before selling?

~~ping~~

I liked raemcadams idea and so I tried to do this for 20 minutes. I sat in a chair with no music on, no TV, no ipod, just listening to the soothing rumble of peak hour traffic and screeching brakes outside my house. After a minute I became very aware of the ringing in my left ear that never goes away. This was a great exercise, because it made me appreciate ipods and music and TV even more than I did before! ;)

I wonder how many of us use ipods/music/noise machines to cover up ear ringing. I've had it since I was a kid--while it doesn't really bother me, i do tend otohave the radio on most of the time--to balance it I guess.

i just came back from a four day media fast. bliss. pure bliss.

What a funny vid ... I loved the holding the plant part (with the banana in the plant) - funny! Ok, I will 'disconnect', have a lovely candlelight dinner with my hubby (with NO tv on) + read a book tonight while listening to the crickets outside (instead of music) :)

The media fast wasn't as tough as I thought it would be but I also cheated a bunch! I will have to try this again.
Having said that I got a lot out of it. Almost too much. I got really behind on my blogging - got a little too relaxed. I can see how much of an all or nothing personality I have!
My blog: http://bit.ly/cljQaj

hey everyone! check out Tom Cooper's book 'Fast Media, Media Fast' for tips on effectively doing the impossible -- shutting our all media! :) here's the site for more info: www.fastmediamediafast.com

I'm home solo today so I'll media fast from now until my husband returns this evening. He wouldn't want to miss his evening TV shows and computer. If the goal had been not to read, then I wouldn't have been able to do it without leaving home. I think today's cure will be doable, and will comment here again tonight if I was wrong.

Wow, I'm shocked at how many people have such an incredible aversion to just BEING- being with themselves without pacifiers.

I don't have a tv, and though I love music, I do not have to have it on all the time. So at first I thought this would be easy. But no internet? No talking or texting on my phone? Oh dear, a big challenge but I'm gonna show up and just do it.

Every Saturday i take a media fast. I try to extend it to Sunday but usually i have too much homework from College to do that lately. But yea, media fasts are definitely needed in these times!

Me? I'm minimalist with my tech, but on days when i'm loaded down on assignments you will see me zoned out on the laptop. ... :( So, usually Wednesday nights are media fast nights as well.

Can't do this tonight. I'm stripping wood and need the music to drown out the "hairdryer" sound.

Plus, hours of nothing but my own thoughts?!?

Inconceivable!

Kind of impossible for me on a work day, but I will do my best tomorrow when I'm off work. I'll be cleaning my house. I like to turn on Pandora on the TV when I do that, but I think I can go without just this once.

I am in the middle of a book and have another one waiting so after I am done with housecleaning I can easily kill time reading. Plus I have a whole room devoted to crafting, so I can go in there and spend hours at a time, although I usually have music or TV on when I'm doing that, too. lol

Cutest one yet!

Go for a day without checking my email a dozen times? Not watch Judge Judy? You kiddin' me? No can do. Sorry, ya'll, but I'm weak. I admit it. So sue me.

Maxwell, I think it's pretty cool you had John McEnroe at Wimbledon in the early 80s on your computer, but FYI, in tennis you don't watch "the game," you watch "a match" or the specific match, as in "the men's final.". But thanks for giving the woefully under-appreciated sport some air time.

Now tell to my partner and my son they should do the same! I'll lock myself in the bath for a long long bath with bubbles, see you tomorrow

I fully agree with your sentiment - we are a society so dependent on and addicted to technology it's obscene and impersonal. I think your video fails to drive this point home because it classifies media very broadly. There is no legitimate or rational reasoning that compels turning off music in order to find peace and unity with your self and home. Humans have played and listened to music for over 50,000 years. The popularity of media technologies like iPhone Apps, Twitter, Netflix, web surfing, etc. formed in less than a decade. I think you should be more focused in your definition of a media fast. For centuries, people have found peace and a spiritual connection with the world around them through music, literature, and art. An indiscriminate fast from all forms of media would be unpleasant, isolating, and foster ignorance. A fast from overexposing oneself to the constant, rapid-fire and often irrelevant and unintelligible media technologies is on the other hand productive because it frees up time for discovering connections independently and encourages exploration of more enlightening media.

Ha! Some of these comments are killing me! Eesh, it's one night people!

I don't know if I can do this today - I put one of my little kitties to sleep today (she'd been sick for awhile and I couldn't bear her suffering anymore) and I think I need to watch completely mindless TV... *sniff* I'll do the media fast tomorrow when I have a little more distance from this morning...

sugar3200, I am so sorry to hear about your cat. Even when you know it is the right thing to do, it is so so difficult. Take care of yourself and your other kitties--the rest will follow in good time.

I do a computer fast on Saturdays--I don't look at my computer or any e-mail for 24+ hours--kind of my version of the Sabbath. I teach in part on-line and this keeps me sane. Students have a tough time understanding that they can't access me for 24 hours or so during the week. Go figure.

I kept the media fast from 9 AM to 6 PM aside from 4 short land line calls. It was a peaceful, pleasant, productive day at home. I'd probably benefit from regular media fasts like some other commenters do. Thanks for the experience.

This is great! Months ago we eliminated media from the lives of our children so while I am media free ALL day at home with the kiddos, I must log on and watch some television in the evenings once they are asleep. I am thinking a once per week evening fast would be a good place to start.

I skipped this except I'm so far behind that I don't know if I'll catch up again. I do have a few media free days on the holidays, so I can fast but it's not easy. Reading, board games, home cooking, and yoga become the way to pass the time on those days.

I have mixed feeling about this media fast thing. I had a forced media fast as I went with some relatives to a cabin in the middle of nowhere, without any internet or even phone antennas. Call that 19th century living. If you are ever going to do a real media fast, and this was a fasting week-end, be sure to do it with people you love, because being forced to spend long evenings while bored to death doesn't qualify. I sure wished we could have watched a movie or something.

I'll do the real media fast tonight with my husband. Good diner, good talking, some reading and some more talking before going to bed early.