Train your disconnection - Testimonials

Participants' experience

Train your disconnection is a training course This publication organized by Associazione Vagamondo together contains part of the with other 9 organizations (Synergy Bulgaria, ESN testimonies written by Kolding, Solidarity Mission, ReCreativity, re:view, the participants of the Synergy LT, Zig Zag prin Romania, Projection and project as a follow-up Abroadship) from the 3rd till the 10th June 2019 in activity, it aims to Bergolo (Italy). The project involved 23 youth share and to workers from Bulgaria, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, disseminate their Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Spain and United experience. Kingdom in discovering and creating activities for Read the full text here young people aimed to develop healthier relationships in the use of technology and social media. The project was developed mainly through non-formal education method and it was co-funded by the Erasmus Plus Program through Agenzia Nazionale per I Giovani.

Youngsters are addicted to social media and technologies I used to use tech on a daily base in so much that it is very difficult to communicate in person. a constant way that was self- The training gave me the confidence that I can be without deprecating. I kind of lost my sense social media and technologies and I find other things to of what comprised a joke and what do. I am not influenced by social media and I can be was serious, and I think that Twitter myself. Training gave me great connection with people played a major part in that. In the around in a safe and non judgement environment. few years since that time, I have Feeling of ease and comfort. - Maris, Latvia regained a more valid sense of (‘my’) reality, but I have heavily abstained from using tech in the way that most young people do. This training was an opportunity for me to revisit that rapport. I had the chance to distance myself from tech, but instigate the idea of using it again to serve my purpose and meet my goals.- Elias, Greece It gave me the safety that I could go offline and still feel connected to people, it gave me self-awareness, it helped me to socialize better and to enjoy other people’s company. It also helped me to communicate better. I could absorb in others’ experiences and feel the connection through empathy. - Terez, Romania

Although we had a busy program days I recognized that now I use were quite long and I felt like time had slowed technologies and social media more down. This made me realize how much time I efficiently, with purpose, that has normally spend engaging in something in the good effect on creativity, self- and online world. As a psychologist, it was environment awareness, the especially interesting for me to observe the realization of not standard ideas, changes in both individual and group levels as and in general – I feel happier. the time goes by.- Selen, UK - Agata, Lithuania The project gave me a lot of peaceful and thoughtful moments. I had the chance to connect with the surroundings and with the other participants in different ways. We did not have our phones so we were able to completely be present and speak and connect with the other participants on 100%. - Sofia, Bulgaria I developed skills regarding communication, critical thinking, facilitation, workshop creation, and also, I gained direct knowledge in the field of technology. I have new energizers, icebreakers, and concrete workshop elements in my toolkit. We could work in a group and develop a workshop together in the project. It really helped me a lot to improve in the field of group work. - Ábris, Hungary

Being my first Erasmus + project I was a bit hesitant about being able to connect with people and learn something only within a week. The fact of not having mobile phones with us has helped communication and the desire to get to know each other and get involved. Thanks to this project I rediscovered myself and my ability to communicate, verbally and non-verbally. - Riccardo, Italy I gained new insights of how much technologies have been controlling my life. It was rather interesting to see, how much sleep you can get by not using the phone before sleeping. I was more rested, happy and energic as I let the phone not control my life. - Esmeralda, Latvia I decided to apply to an Erasmus + project to improve my work experience with young people and to get involved with European projects from the point of view of a sending organization. The organizers have tough me a lot, sharing with me their experience as sending organization and providing key clues and contacts so I can start up our own experience at home. - Sara, Spain

Train your disconnection brought me a new way to relate We truly disconnected from with my devices, a feeling of being in aligned with myself technology as we left our devices and taking the decision of using them when needed, in a wooden box and experienced instead of a getaway or an automatic behaviour. I gained a more natural way of living for a awareness of how I want to use technology and, from this week. This made us rely on idea, I am spending consciously more quality time doing each other and sparked a what I love, learning and sharing with others without different way of connecting with needing technology to connect us. Melania, Spain each other. - Adrian, Romania No phones, no watches, nor techs: in such a way, before even realizing, time got a totally different meaning, a different power was bestowed upon us. It felt like waking up from a long-lasting never-ending nightmare, that God only knows when did start! Awareness on such addiction was really important: we can’t always rely on the net for every silly doubt, looking it up on any search engine! A boost of confidence, a more widespread view and a sense of creativity and innovation that I would never really expected were born anew, and a renewed sense of lucidity and critical thinking - Christopher, Italy

Staring on my social media or listening to my music on my phone, was not a possibility anymore. So, we engaged with the offline world. We spent time in nature, bonded with others and faced challenges unknown to the normal world in the 21st century. I began to realize, that technologies are not here to determine my life. They are here to support it and without any technological support my life goes on and the world around me keeps spinning. - David, Denmark What I have found totally valuable it was the real disconnection from personal digital tools, in order to experience all around an off-line lifestyle. Being off-line to be on-site: connection with people gets easier, good feelings get closer. I’ve met amazing people and it was simply not possible to get bored! - Ricky, Italy I came eager to leave my phone and the digital world behind for a week so that I could focus on real-time relationships more, generally be more mindful and live in the present.I learnt that facilitating a group is something I can do well and also enjoy a lot! As well as having created a whole workshop for young people from scratch, with a highly diverse team so that they left from the session feeling they really got something and grew. - Bianka, Hungary

I understood that I can spend beautiful time without my I experience the real dedication to devices and even be more relax. In the group, it was the aims and activities of the project! amazing to see that we started to communicate and talk I felt really close to all the more with each other when we gave away our devices. I participants and the trainers. am now sure that If I train myself to be more aware of Through the course, I observed how I use my devices, as a helpful tool and not myself in the process and saw my depending on them, I will improve my life. This fact I want imperfections in working in a group. I to share with the youngsters I work with and help them learned how to be a facilitator, become more communicative and active in the “real life”, organizer and I made a wonderful which is happening now and not on the internet. - connection with other youth Katerina, Greece workers.. - Kristian, Bulgaria I like the concept of learning by experiencing and I really enjoyed the training program. During the project I had the chance to create, plan, and organize a workshop in a team of three people. That experience developed my skills in the field of youth work, which I can apply back home. - Andrei, Denmark

Thank you!