Technology is my passion. It is also my addiction. 

Rather, my incessant need for information is my addiction. Technology just feeds my craving.

 How did I become aware of this problem? I went “off the grid.” 

On Sunday, Oct. 23, 2011, I turned off my iPhone, shut down my MacBook Pro and unplugged the TV. I spent an entire day without technology -- without the distractions of Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, e-mail, text messages and all other modern technological inventions that consume time and attention. 

I even went so far as to turn off the radio that constantly plays in my room. 

It’s been months since I’ve sat in my bedroom in complete silence. It was awful.

The idea to go “off the grid” came during journalism class one day when I was on my phone instead of listening to the teacher. She asked a question, and I was clueless to provide an answer. 

It wasn’t my decision to give up technology for a day, but my teacher’s -- a consequence for letting my phone and the Internet interfere with real-life communication.

I was hesitant and annoyed at the idea of not being “in the know” for an entire day. I also had to type two essays the day before to compensate for my planned technological abstinence. 

With prep work done, I awoke Sunday morning with nothing on my schedule – a very rare occurrence. I remember thinking, “I’m letting a perfectly good day be wasted.”

I walked into the kitchen and immediately observed my sister on a laptop, my mother watching TV and my dad sending an e-mail on his BlackBerry.

 I felt myself twitch. The urge to see if new texts, e-mails or Facebook notifications had arrived overnight was nearly unbearable. 

I grabbed some cereal and went out on the deck, a place where I wouldn’t be tempted by my family’s technology use. It was there - sitting on the deck in 45-degree weather - that I realized just how serene and peaceful it can be outside. 

It was quiet -- eerie almost. Perhaps that’s because I was so used to being around the TV or listening to music. It was refreshing to think without needing to block out noise. I enjoyed it. 

It was at that point I decided to subdue my anxiety and declare that a day without technology might have its benefits.

I cleaned my room, something I hadn’t done for months. Then I did laundry and gave the dog a bath. It was 11:30 a.m., and the day was already proving to be productive. 

The rest of my day “off the grid” continued in similar manner, as I completed a long list of tasks I had neglected over the past few months. 

I even sat down and read a book for two hours -- something I had always thought about doing, sometimes even tried to do, but never actually accomplished.

Lately, it seemed, I had been busier than ever. I always felt like there wasn’t enough time to get stuff done, and I was going to sleep every night with a list of things I still needed to work on. 

At the same time, I kept trying to figure out what was taking all of my time. Sure, I had things to do, but hadn’t I been busier at other times and still managed? What had changed?

Not long before this experiment, I had come across a study by Dr. Edward Hallowell, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School. Hallowell identified a newly observed disorder he called ADT, Attention Deficit Trait. 

ADT has been caused, Hallowell said, by the digital age and widespread use of technology. ADT is a “manifestation of one’s desire to surround themselves with more and more information.” 

While I don’t claim to have such a disorder, the concept makes sense. By constantly surrounding myself with social networking, my cell phone, my computer and my iPod, I have compromised my ability to focus on the task at hand. 

If I check my phone or Facebook while writing an essay, I lose focus and have to spend time getting back into the writing process.

My day “off the grid” turned out to be not only productive but eye-opening. As a result, I am making a conscious effort to spend a little less time with digital distractions when there’s a task at hand. 

I turned off push e-mail and notifications to my phone. By checking e-mail once or twice a day instead of all day long, I can spend less time dealing with the Internet and all its various distractions. 

I feel this change is for the better. It will be a long process, weaning myself off the information addiction I have, but it’s something I am committed to doing. 

So how about you? The first step is admitting you have a problem; the second is taking a day “off the grid.” Give it a try. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll lose 15 pounds (in devices).