What an ex-school teacher learnt when he quit the Internet for a year

By going offline, he wanted to better understand its grip on our brains. He survived the year
– but a surprise awaited him on his return

Mr Aron Rosenberg concocted this offline experiment in 2019 as part of his PhD research at McGill University. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
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(NYTIMES) - Mr Aron Rosenberg was on a road trip last summer when he realised his mind wasn't working the way it used to.

He was alone in the car without a phone. His only potential companions were the meagre offerings of his car's radio. He sat in silence, stared at a point on the horizon and stepped on the accelerator. Lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed the kilometres ticking by. He reached his destination in what felt like 45 minutes. It had been six hours.

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