Charlie Goeke, School Year Program Director, explains that the goal of the tech fast is to reorient Vanguards in their thinking, to give them intentional time and guidance as they address questions like:
- How do we use our time?
- What do we choose to do when the easy things are not available to us?
Students have to be intentional with their decisions in the small things, “... a puzzle, a game, or going and doing things outside; choices that take a little bit more effort if music and movies are not readily available.”
Vanguards are invited to wrestle with the amorality and role of technology throughout the fast and the entirety of the year. The fast creates tension where students must grapple with tendencies of escaping through social media, movies, and music versus delighting in movies and music in moderation. Communication with family and friends is strongly encouraged during the tech fast. Many Vanguards choose to write letters to their friends and family while on the six-week fast. Students have easy access to a landline to make phone calls at their leisure in addition to the scheduled opportunities to check in with family.
The fast creates tension where students must grapple with tendencies of escaping through social media, movies, and music versus delighting in movies and music in moderation.
Charlie reflects on the impact and power that a technology fast has on students:
“Vanguard have realized that they can have a lot of fun and build friendships without having the safety blanket of their phone or digital media. We are not against those mediums, but we want them to be held in the right order. The deep friendships that are formed during Vanguard is a recurring result of things like the tech fast. Just being at HoneyRock helps you form friendships, but that comes from the intentionality of being “a place apart”. Living into the “a place apart” mentality helps foster social skills going forward."