Zine Review - Real Life

Real Life A Magical Guide to Getting Off the Internet

A zine by Maranda Elizabeth & Dave Cave

One of the emerging issues of the past two decades has been, in my opinion, internet or screen addiction. It is an issue I personally struggle with to the point where I have declared at least one “technological Sabbath” a week and am working my way up to two.During the Sabbath (usually about 30 hours) I avoid technology, avoid buying things, connect with others, read, write, and enjoy being with my family.

Maranda Elizabeth & Dave Cave’s zine could not have been published at a more appropriate time in our culture. I see people whose smart phones never leave their hands, who send and answer texts compulsively, who lose sleep because they are surfing the web aimlessly, all the while their real, flesh and blood, body and soul lives and relationships are slipping into the abyss.

The catch-22 about screen addiction is that in these times, unlike alcohol where sobriety is essential to heal alcoholism, few people can realistically retreat to a pre-technology lifestyle. At the very least, most jobs require use of a computer.  Real Life A Magical Guide to Getting Off the Internet offers strategies and asks the right questions to help the reader wrestle with their own online addiction. There is extensive discussion about Facebook and how to disconnect … and truly reconnect with the people and activities that matter in our lives.

This is a well written, informative and essential zine. For more information check out schoolformaps.etsy.com