Digital detox tourism: Practices of analogization

h ps://doi.o g/10.1177/14614448211072808 new media & socie y 2024, Vol. 26(2) 1056 –1073 © The Au ho (s) 2022 A icle euse guidelines: sagepub.com/jou nals-pe missions DOI: 10.1177/14614448211072808 jou nals.sagepub.com/home/nms Digi al de ox ou ism: P ac ices o analogiza ion U s S äheli Uni e si ä Hambu g, Ge many Luise S ol enbe g Ha enCi y Uni e si ä Hambu g, Ge many Abs ac Technological disconnec i i y has u ned in o a ou is a ac ion in i s own igh : digi al de ox ou ism celeb a es empo a y disconnec ion as a means o expe iencing an “au hen ic” wo ld. Wi h pe asi e digi al media and a s ong impe us o being a ailable 24/7, his ou ism has o answe no only he ques ion o wha has o be done o become disconnec ed, bu also i has o highligh he pleasu es disconnec ion may a o d. D awing on wo case s udies—a discou se analysis o sel -o ganized unplugged a el w i ing and an e hnog aphy o he de ox e en Camp G ounded—we a gue ha digi al de ox ou ism elies hea ily on s aging and pe o ming a dis inc ion be ween he analog and he digi al. The a icle in oduces he no ion “analogiza ion” o cap u e p ac ices, media, and in as uc u e which suppo he c ea ion and he blu ing o his dis inc ion. Thus, we a gue ha analogiza ion, in con as o digi aliza ion, emphasizes ha he e is no “analog” pe se. Keywo ds Analogiza ion, digi al de ox, digi al dualism, dis/connec ion, disconnec i i y, nos algia, ou ism, unplugged a eling Wha 20 yea s ago was only seen as a hassle has now u ned in o a ou is a ac ion in i s own igh : echnological disconnec i i y. In some ho els and es au an s, he “We ha e WiFi” sign has been eplaced by one ha ou s a “Gua an eed WiFi- ee zone.” Co esponding au ho : Luise S ol enbe g, Ha enCi y Uni e si ä Hambu g, S ad planung, Henning-Vosche au-Pla z 1, 20457 Hambu g, Ge many. Email: [email p o ec ed] 1072808NMS0010.1177/14614448211072808new media & socie yS äheli and S ol enbe g esea ch-a icle2022 A icle S äheli and S ol enbe g 1057 Disconnec ion has become a ma ke able en i y, p omising o help us s ep ou o digi al ne wo ks, a leas o a while. The ou ism indus y was quick o b and his expe ience as “unplugged a el” o “digi al de ox.” This ou is ic in e es in digi al disconnec ion is embedded wi hin a wide discou se ha p oblema izes he e ec s o pe manen connec i - i y. The c isis diagnosis s ems om he psychological diagnosis o “bu nou ” (Neckel and Wagne , 2013) and om cul u al c i ics who blame he loss o “au hen ici y” h ough digi- aliza ion (Tu kle, 2011) on policies es ic ing indi idual connec i i y, such as he “ igh o disconnec ” in F ance (Jau éguibe y, 2014). The hype connec i i y o ne wo ked socie ies is inc easingly p oblema ized as unheal hy and a secu i y isk (S äheli, 2020). As a esul , he concep o disconnec ion has s a ed o change i s meaning. I no longe necessa ily e e s only o echnical ailu es o o hose who ha e been le behind in he digi aliza ion p ocess; a he , disconnec ion now has mo e posi i e conno a ions and is inc easingly seen as a p ac ice o i s own (Hesselbe h, 2018). Media heo is s, o example, discuss how disengagemen om social media si es such as Facebook wo ks (Ka ppi, 2018); media a - is s explo e he aes he ics o disconnec ion (e.g. Hi o S eye l, “How no o be seen”), and poli ical mo emen s use disconnec ion as an emancipa o y slogan. Wi hin his b oade con ex o eme ging cul u es o disconnec ion, digi al de ox ou - ism occupies a special posi ion. Disconnec ion is b anded as a aluable and posi i e expe ience—and e en ually e en a commodi y o con empo a y expe ience economies (Pine and Gilmo e, 1999) which has o be p oduced by a complex and he e ogeneous ou ism assemblage (F anklin, 2004). The in e es in de ox o unplugged a el goes hand in hand wi h he de elopmen o imagina ies o disconnec ion (Ge mann Molz, 2012; Su on, 2017: 153 .) and he c ea ion o p ac ices o disconnec ion and in as uc- u es o unplugging (such as wi eless ho els o he ea icula ion o “dead zones” as ou - is a ac ions; Pea ce and G e zel, 2012). One migh a gue ha wi h digi al de ox ou ism he ne e -ending u ge o ne wo k socie ies o economically exploi connec i i y may ha e eached a new peak. Now e en spending ime ou side ne wo ks is add essed as empo a y b eak, howe e , amed by he logic o connec i i y— he eby ein o cing he powe o ne wo ked capi alism. Commodi ied disconnec ion is ac i ely p oduced by ne wo k socie ies, c ea ing a new enclosu e (Landnahme) o he disconnec ed. Al hough we do no wan o dispu e his claim, such a eading implies a unc ionalis accoun o app op ia ion. Ra he , we wan o a gue, i is p ecisely he “commodi ica ion” o digi al de ox ou ism ha is also an epis emological ad an age, since making disconnec ion in o a ou is expe ience has o spell ou how disconnec ions—as imagina y and de icien hey may be—can be li ed. Digi al de ox ou ism has o answe he ques ion o wha has o be done o become dis- connec ed as well as highligh ing he pleasu es disconnec ion may a o d. Wha becomes a s uc u ing de ice o his challenge is he opposi ion be ween an analog and digi al wo ld. Howe e , ins ead o assuming ha digi al de ox ou ism simply unco e s a los wo ld o ha i is delusional wi h i s hope o au hen ici y, ou cen al ques ion is how he analog is pe o med. We will call his p ocess analogiza ion, a p ocess ha has been neglec ed in he o en- eleological discussions o digi aliza ion since i ends o see he analog ei he as le -o e o me e ideology. Analogiza ion e e s o p ac ices and in a- s uc u es c ea ing analog en i onmen s and subjec s. Thus, analogiza ion does no only add ess ideas o a los analog wo ld, bu also how hese wo lds a e c ea ed by mundane 1058 new media & socie y 26(2) p ac ices. Such p ac ices pe o m a cu be ween he digi al and he analog, he eby p o- ducing hei own images o wha doing o line migh mean. Ou s udy is amed in media heo e ical e ms, no leas since he igu e o he ou is is highly media ized and since de ox ou ism de ines i sel by i s media c i ique— ha is, by sal aging a los analog wo ld o he eal li e (“IRL”) o an au hen ic o line expe i- ence (1). We will a gue ha his p ocess is highly in e wined wi h digi aliza ion and also a p ocess wi h i s own posi i i y (2). To be e unde s and how analogiza ion is pe - o med, we execu ed wo cases s udies (3): a discou se analysis o a el w i ing abou sel -o ganized unplugging (3.1) and an e hnog aphy o “Camp G ounded,” a digi al de ox summe camp in he Uni ed S a es (3.2). We ha e chosen hese wo cases o co e p e-o ganized and sel -o ganized ou is ic p ac ices o analogiza ion. In he ensuing dis- cussion, we d aw six dimensions o analogiza ion om he case s udies (4). We conclude by unde lining he s ong connec ion be ween analogiza ion and powe s uc u es (5). Digi al de ox ou ism and he media ed igu e o he ou is The igu e o he ou is is cha ac e ized by an ambi alen his o y o media iza ion and demedia iza ion: ou ism is based on imagina ies1 o escape as well as he documen a ion o his escape. The ou is gaze, as John U y and Jonas La sen (2011) ha e sugges ed, is s uc u ed h ough he came a. Taking pho os may make he “uselessness” o pleasu e a el mo e bea able by c ea ing an essen ial ac i i y o he ou is . The ou is s a s o obse e he wo ld as i she we e a came a, aming po en ial pic u es, looking o iew- poin s, sigh s, and po ai s wi h locals. Wi h he ad en o social media, his media ed ou is expe ience has been in ensi ied and ne wo ked (c . Jansson, 2018). I is his always al eady media ized igu e o he ou is ha pa adoxically has u ned in o he cen al igu e o escaping digi al media in digi al de ox ou ism. Digi al de ox ou ism na iga es his pa adox by calling o a empo a y abs inence om digi al media. I ies o sal age he classical ou is ic imagina y which is based on he idea o a empo a y escape om he bu den and bo edom o one’s wo king and e e- yday li e (Cohen, 1979; Ge mann Molz, 2012). E e yday li e is seen as becoming mo e and mo e o malized, a ionalized, and e en ually inau hen ic. This c ea es—as MacCannell (1999) a gues—a hi s o au hen ici y, which he ou is hopes o expe i- ence du ing his o he a els. Digi al de ox ou ism e-a icula es his yea ning as em- po a y disconnec ion. Thus, disconnec ion becomes a p ac ice o p oducing au hen ic expe iences, cha ac e ized by he absence o digi al media. Al eady he discussion o classical ou ism has a gued ha his a gumen o e s a es he desi e o au hen ici y— indeed, he e a e many ou is ic o ms (e.g. ad en u e ou ism) o which au hen ici y seems o be a mino mo i e. Mo eo e , he analy ical use o au hen ici y p oduces p ob- lems o i s own, since i p esupposes a an asy abou a ue wo ld o an au hen ic sel (c . Wang, 1999). Tha is why some au ho s ha e a gued ha i is no always au hen ic expe- iences ha cha ac e ize ou ism bu , a he , ex ao dina y expe iences (U y and La sen, 2011): i is no necessa ily abou isi ing au hen ic si es, bu abou expe iencing new places, ood, smells, landscapes, and people. The logic go e ning he a gumen is he jux aposi ion o o dina y e e yday li e and he ex ao dina y. Gi en he omnip esence o S äheli and S ol enbe g 1059 mobile media de ices, he dis inc ion be ween home and away s a s o blu (S o s e al., 2019). This c ea es a h ea o he classical ou is ic imagina y o escape, such ha sal- aging a momen o he ex ao dina y equi es new echniques o “encapsula ion” (Jansson, 2007). Digi al de ox ou ism answe s he need o p oducing an encapsula ed ou is ic expe i- ence by e u ning o he idea o he ou is ic ex ao dina y. I is no p ima ily abou isi - ing an exo ic place; ins ead, i is abou he pe sonal o collec i e expe ience o disconnec ing om digi al media and o how o o ganize a disconnec ed li e. By doing his, i s ongly appeals o he desi e o au hen ici y, bu now amed as subjec i e au hen ici y, h ea ened by digi al connec i i y. Digi al de ox ou ism add esses wo aspec s o disconnec ion: he p ocess o se e ing a connec ion and he s a e o being disconnec ed. As ou analysis will show, his ou ism uses i uals o s aging he p ocess o disconnec ion and ies o enhance he expe ience o he disconnec ed s a e. Simply doing away wi h digi al de ices does no ye p oduce a “heal hy” subjec . Ra he , i is necessa y o slowly, some imes e en pain ully emo e he “poison” o he digi al om he ou is ic subjec . The sel -desc ip ion as “digi al de ox” e ames he whole ou is ic expe ience as a pa icula media expe ience. I has been a gued ha digi al de ox ou ism e en e ishizes digi al echnologies wi h he e y a emp o hei expulsion (Fish, 2017). The digi al migh be he poison bu i pe sis s by de ining he whole ou is ic expe ience and being he objec o pu i ica ion echnologies. One migh c i icize his pa adox o digi al ou - ism; indeed, i is e y easy o highligh i s con adic ions. De ox camps ely on in ensi e public ela ions (PR) wo k in social media, and a e he e en pa icipan s o en sha e hei expe iences on social media. Howe e , wha makes digi al de ox ou ism analy i- cally in e es ing is ha i add esses he ques ion o how o accomplish and o empo a ily li e a li e wi hou connec ion. I allows us o analyze he pe o ma i i y o he digi al/ analog dis inc ion— he ques ion o how an analog expe ience is being c ea ed. Wha in e es s us a e p ac ices o analogiza ion: how he analog, amed by digi al media, is p oduced. F om “digi al dualism” owa d p ac ices o analogiza ion Digi al de ox ou ism a icula es and mixes wo c ucial and dis inc logics, bes exempli- ied by he slogan “Disconnec o Reconnec ” which is used by Camp G ounded (2020), one o he mos popula digi al de ox camps and one o ou case s udies. This slogan ies o accomplish wo e y di e en hings a he same ime: disconnec ing and econnec - ing. Wha migh seem o be a pa adoxical injunc ion is—a i s sigh —easily sol ed by implici ly dis inguishing wo di e en ypes o connec ions: he e a e connec ions es ab- lished by digi al ne wo ks (e.g. iends in social media), and he e a e “ ue” connec ions in he “ eal” wo ld (such as iends who a e “physically” p esen ). Thus, a less ca chy bu mo e p ecise e sion o he slogan would ead, “Disconnec digi ally o econnec ana- logically” (Su on, 2017). This implici dis inc ion no only s uc u es he ma ke ing o digi al de ox ou ism, bu is also—albei in a mo e complex o m— amilia o media s udies. Mos p ominen ly, José an Dijck (2013: 12) dis inguishes be ween au oma ed connec i i y and human 1060 new media & socie y 26(2) connec edness: connec i i y is au oma ically p oduced by social media pla o ms, exploi ing, and commodi ying he human desi e o connec edness. Digi al de ox ou ism sha es he c i ique o digi al connec i i y, bu no ha o commodi ica ion. Ins ead o analyzing he “commodi izing ela ionships— u ning connec edness in o connec i i y by means o coding echnologies” ( an Dijck, 2013: 16), digi al de ox ou ism con on s us wi h he e e se ques ion: How do we u n connec i i y in o “disconnec ed connec ed- ness” by abs aining om coding echnologies? This connec edness is nei he ha o ea ly, mo e democ a ic social ne wo ks, no pu ely ha o an immedia e, di ec connec- ion. Al hough digi al de ox ou ism is cha ac e ized by a desi e o au hen ici y, his does no mean ha i de elops he an asm o a wo ld wi hou media. Ra he , his mo e au hen ic wo ld is concei ed o as an analog wo ld, using he analog a he same ime as oken o ealness wi hou media as well as heade o di e en analog media echniques. A u opia o “ eal” immediacy is a icula ed wi h ha o analog mediacy, hus linking wo di e en aspec s: on he one hand, a wo ld inhabi ed by lesh-and-blood iends, nice smells, and meaning ul con e sa ions; on he o he hand, a wo ld o books, maps, and analog came as. Bo h o hese dimensions o he analog, as en isioned om he pe spec- i e o digi al connec i i y, sha e hei dema ca ion om he digi al wo ld, which is seen as go e ned by cold algo i hms and a cons an p essu e o “ eal- ime” communica ion. The analog is seen as mo e eal, he only place whe e au hen ic expe iences and subjec- i i ies a e s ill possible; he digi al, in con as , is cha ac e ized as an un eal, simula ed wo ld o pseudo communica ion. Na han Ju genson (2011, 2013) has o ce ully a gued agains such a “digi al dual- ism,” implici ly d awing om a wide ange o media heo y (e.g. Hayles, 2010) on he blu ing o he digi al and analog)—a dualism ha s uc u es no only he popula dis- cou se abou social media bu also many academic accoun s (e.g. Tu kle, 2011). The de ox mo emen is a good example o such a dualism since i ein o ces he bounda y be ween he digi al and he physical by a “ e ishiza ion o he o line,” which is seen as he ul ima e place o he eal (Ju genson, 2013). This s a e o being o line is a “phan- om,” since he “logic o social media ollows us long a e we log ou .” Al hough we ag ee wi h his c i ique o “digi al dualism,” he insis ence on i s pu ely ideological cha - ac e is p oblema ic as well. Such a c i ique p ecludes an analysis o how he “o line” is p oduced and how he doing o disconnec ion is embedded wi hin digi al cul u es. Volun a y non-use o digi al media is, hus, no only an absence, bu comp ises dis inc- i e p ac ices o i s own (Baume e al., 2015). C i iques o digi al de ox ha e s essed ha “de oxing” is pa o neolibe al modes o powe and sel -con ol (Sy e sen and Enli, 2019). Disconnec ion has become a pe - sonal esponsibili y, hus indi idualizing and depoli icizing he p oblems ha hegem- onic modes o connec i i y p oduce (Fish, 2017). Indeed, many popula accoun s o unplugging emphasize he eno mous sel -discipline ha unplugging equi es—sup- po ed by a g owing ma ke o digi al sel -help books. Howe e , a me e analysis o digi- al de ox ou ism as a neolibe al mode o go e nmen ali y s ill p esupposes ha he analog is only a alse ideology and ha digi al duali y is s able— ha he e a e clea c i e ia dis inguishing he wo sphe es. We will a gue ha o digi al de ox ou ism (and o media heo y as well) disconnec ion does no au oma ically mean doing wi hou media; a he , i s goal is o edisco e and use analog media, howe e , o en S äheli and S ol enbe g 1061 unwi ingly, amed by digi al connec i i y. The analog only acqui es i s ascina ion by he jux aposi ion wi h he digi al. We will show how mundane p ac ices, such as absen no es, digi al ma ke ing o analog expe iences, o he loss o connec ion on he jou ney o a de ox holiday, a e o impo ance o how he analog is p oduced. This is a c ucial shi om seeing he nondigi al as simply physical, since i poin s owa d he media ed cha ac e o wha is seen as o line. “O line,” hen, is de ined no jus in pu ely nega- i e e ms, as unplugging, bu also posi i ely, as li ing analogically, including he usage o analog media. We will a gue ha he dis inc ion be ween he analog and he digi al is no e en close o being s able. Ra he , he dis inc ion has o be pe o ma i ely ep oduced and enac ed, na iga ing he oscilla ion o he analog be ween immediacy and mediacy. This uzziness o he digi al/analog dis inc ion also cha ac e izes i s ich concep ual his o y (Buckley, 2014; S e ne, 2016), which we can only b ie ly ouch on: “The analog conce ns all ha is con inuous, luc ua ing, and quali a i ely a iable wi hin communica ion, whe eas he digi al conce ns all ha is discon inuous, bounda y ma king, and quan i a i ely con ol- ling wi hin communica ion” (Buckley, 2014: 7). Al hough he dis inc ion was i s es ab- lished wi h he in en ion o analog compu ing in he 1940s, i only became popula ized in he 1980s (S e ne, 2016: 31 .). The o iginal—s ill exis ing—meaning o he analog was mo e clea ly de ined as a echnical mode o ep esen a ion using “ a iable quali ies [. . .] o ep esen he quali ies ha a e being compu ed” (ibid.: 34). In he 1980s, S e ne con inues, “analog” became a b oade e m, inc easingly deno ing e e y hing which is no digi al; and now he analog has come o unc ion as he opposi e o he digi al. D awing om media heo e ical concep s (such as Ki le ) ha concei e o he analog as he eal, a s ong connec ion be ween he con inui y o li e, senses, and media was es ab- lished. I is his e oac i e in en ion o he analog which has u ned i in o an ambi alen concep : On he one hand, i e e s o conc e e media echnologies, on he o he hand, i e e s o he absence o all media. Ou in e es in e iewing he concep ual his o y o digi al/analog is no o ix i s meaning; a he , o pose he ques ion o how he dis inc ion is p oduced. We call his p ac ices o analogiza ion, hus no de ining he analog as ixed p ope y o media echnologies, bu as an enac men based on imagina ies o he analog. Simila ly, i has been a gued o analyze he con empo a y ascina ion wi h analog media in ela ional e ms as “ e omedia-in-p ac ice” (Magaudda and Minni i, 2019). Digi al de ox ou ism is a labo a o y o p oducing a dis inc ion be ween he digi al and he analog. The assump ion ha no only digi al connec i i y bu also analog con- nec edness has o be p oduced is no unp oblema ic: on he one hand, he expe ience o disconnec ion is s aged by newly in en ed i uals and de ices, and in his sense, i is a s aged expe ience o disconnec i i y; on he o he hand, digi al de ox ou ism has o posi his analog expe ience as some hing “au hen ic” and “ eal”—as some hing which has always been he e bu which is in inc easing dange o anishing. Case s udies: unplugged a el and Camp G ounded We ha e chosen wo case s udies o analyzing p ac ices o analogiza ion in digi al de ox ou ism: indi idual, sel -o ganized unplugged a el and collec i e, packaged digi al de ox expe iences. The case s udy on unplugged a el is a documen analysis o ecen 1062 new media & socie y 26(2) US-Ame ican a el blogs and w i ing (2009–2016) ha explici ly ocus on he usage o media and de oxing du ing a jou ney. The selec ion o ma e ial is no ep esen a i e, bu allowed us o iden i y ypical a gumen a i e s a egies o how digi al and analog media a e p oblema ized. Fo he selec ion o he ma e ial, i was c ucial ha hese ex s do no only hema ized media bu ha hey o mula e explici ecommenda ions o how o a el unplugged, hus poin ing a conc e e p ac ices o analogiza ion. The case s udy, Camp G ounded, was chosen because i was he i s big comme cial o ganiza ion o digi al de ox ips in he Uni ed S a es. The 4-day summe camp celeb a - ing digi al disconnec ion was ounded by Le i Felix in 2011 a e he was hospi alized due o se e e exhaus ion om his 70-hou wo k weeks a a ech s a up (Mele, 2017). The i s Camp G ounded was held in summe 2012. All e hnog aphic ma e ial discussed in his a icle was collec ed du ing a s ay a he Camp G ounded session om 19 o 22 May 2017 nea Mendocino, CA, and also includes an in e iew wi h Le i Felix. This session seemed well sui ed o s udying p ac ices o disconnec ion in digi al de ox ou - ism, as i s enue is close o Silicon Valley whe e connec i i y is key. Resea ch was done mainly by co e pa icipa o y obse a ion (Spicke , 2011). This me hod was chosen because i allows o lea n abou ac ual p ac ices o disconnec ion a camp i s hand and o ake in o accoun sensuous da a—an aspec which is essen ial o he analog nos algia analyzed in his a icle. Gi en his is an o en mo ally c i icized app oach (c . Spicke , 2011), he decision o emain a co e obse e was discussed wi h Le i Felix who ag eed o he planned e hnog aphy on he condi ion ha o he campe s’ indi idual de ox expe iences mus emain undis u bed. Keeping esea ch co e was made especially easy by Camp G ounded’s ules: campe s a e nei he supposed o alk abou hei jobs no o use hei eal names. And as he e en p ohibi s he use o digi al echnology, handw i en no es, emo ions, and e lec ions we e kep in a ield jou nal. De oxing on you own wi h unplugged a eling This sec ion u ns o indi idual ou is s who y o a el “unplugged.” Based on a b ie analysis o a el w i ing on unplugging, we aced wo dimensions o analogiza ion p ac ices. P epa ing disconnec ion. T a eling unplugged has e ec s e en be o e he depa u e, since i changes how he jou ney is o ganized. I equi es mo e elabo a e planning. One a el blog w i e gi es de ailed ecommenda ions abou how o in o m colleagues: Be o e You Disconnec : Take hese s eps o alle ia e any pangs o guil . . . you migh ha e abou unplugging om he o ice: - Lea e ou -o -o ice messages on email and oice mail explaining ha you’ll be ou o ange un il you e u n; [. . .]. - P ep colleagues o you absence. [. . .] - Make a lis o ue eme gencies ha me i in e up ing you aca ion (i you can be eached). (Helgoe, 2009) These no i ica ions ame a space o empo a y disconnec ion. They in o m con ac s no only abou one’s absence bu also abou one’s u u e e u n. Implici ly, hese S äheli and S ol enbe g 1063 messages ell hei ecipien s ha he e is no eason o wo y. I is only a empo a y absence—no a “ eal” disconnec ion, only an ac o pe sonal mind ulness, ully unde con ol. Thus, he in o ma ion o one’s absence is mo e han a simple s a emen —i no - malizes he disconnec ion by making i a legi ima e pa o sel -ca e o he ne wo ked subjec . The need o such ca e ul no i ica ions poin s o how igh ening an unannounced depa u e may be o o he s. Disconnec ion has o be con olled and hus becomes a planned and managed e en . This space o empo a y disconnec ion is amed by digi al echnologies—indeed, he no i ica ions will e en be sen du ing one’s absence. This indica es he impo ance o unde s anding disconnec ion in ela ional e ms. I is impossible o escape o a pu e space o disconnec ion, as he ou is ic “island” image migh sugges . The digi al aming is essen ial o ha which is being amed. The e y wo ding o disconnec ion poin s o his obse a ion: connec ions a e p esupposed as a no mal s a e, and i s nega i e side—dis- connec ion—as an in e up ion o his no malcy, hus ully embedded wi hin an “e hos o connec i i y” (S äheli, 2020). This may explain he equen use o me apho s om digi- al cul u e. Disconnec ion is desc ibed in e ms o “unplugging” o “ ese ing” (Sabba h Season, 2016) me apho s ha a e in ima ely connec ed o he logic o digi al echnolo- gies. These digi al me apho s ansla e empo a y disconnec ion in o no mal digi al p o- cedu es: “unplugging” is in insically linked o echnological modula i y, and a “ ese ” is a planned new beginning ha clea s he memo y om old iles and makes he machine wo k be e . Thus, p epa a o y wo k in social media ames u u e analog expe iences, c ea ing he condi ions o a empo a y analog space. Re- aluing “old” analog media. The planning p ocess also equi es he a ele o hink abou how digi al media usually s uc u e he jou ney and how o ind subs i u es o digi al media. One blogge ecommends o ganizing he jou ney by means o “old” a el media2 like a ph ase book, handw i en ho el in o ma ion, and spa e change o pay phones (Joachimowicz, 2016). Unplugged a el means a e u n o hese old media, which also change hei meaning. T a el blogge s edisco e hese media and hei a o dances; hey s a o esemble a los and nowadays nea ly o go en land. The asci- na ion wi h classical a el media unde lies he w i ings o Sa a Clemence (2017), which o e an exempla y exposi ion o he edisco e y o old a el media. She ad ises he unplugged a ele o “ge a guidebook,” since he quali y o guidebooks is supposedly highe han ha o online esou ces. Mo eo e , she lis s he media-speci ic ad an ages o guidebooks: They don’ equi e a cha ge o an in e ne connec ion [. . .]. A guidebook migh be hea ie han a phone, bu you can cus omize i by s apling oge he selec ed sec ions and disca d pages along he way o ligh en you load. (Clemence, 2017) This desc ip ion o guidebooks, w i en om he pe spec i e o a digi al media use , emphasizes he ma e iali y o he book. I wo ks e en wi hou a connec ion, i is he ideal medium o si ua ions o digi al disconnec ion. Bu his does no mean ha he book is posi ed only as an al e na i e o e en opposi e media o digi al a el apps. Ra he , he au ho einsc ibes c ucial cha ac e is ics o digi al media in o he analog medium o he 1064 new media & socie y 26(2) book: i can be sha ed and cus omized mo e easily han digi al media. I is easy o dis- c edi his assump ion, bu wha is in e es ing is ha he analog book is pa ially e alu- a ed by digi al c i e ia such as sha eabili y. The second old media ha is necessa y o unplugged a el is a pape map: Pape maps ha e a lo o ad an ages o e way- inding apps. They don’ equi e a signal and hei ba e ies ne e un d y. [. . .] Na iga ing wi h a map slows hings down. I o ces you o hink abou con ex and o une in o you su oundings [. . .]. Maps encou age de ou s and disco e y. Mos impo an ly, hey make you—and no you phone— esponsible o he jou ney. (Clemence, 2017) Again, he pape medium unc ions independen ly o digi al connec i i y, and i can be pe sonalized. Wha is new he e is he posi i e e-e alua ion o a possible weakness o maps: using maps may be less e icien and hus acili a e “slowe ” a el. Maps a e no mally used no by hemsel es bu in connec ion wi h o he media such as s ee signs o o al explana ions by locals (B own and Lau ie , 2005). The map u ns in o he medium mos closely connec ed o he o iginal pu pose o a eling: a eling is abou he unex- pec ed, abou ge ing los and being imme sed he en i onmen . Digi al media, in con- as , h ea en he essence o a eling by de aul ing o he mos e icien ways o mo ing. The igu e o he mode n ou is is in insically media ized, mos p ominen ly indi- ca ed by he came a. The issue o pho og aphy in unplugged a eling is con en ious; some a ele s e en lea e hei came a a home. One a el blogge who pa icipa ed in a digi al de ox desc ibed how di icul she ound i o a el wi hou he came a—and she did no in ac succeed: I was supposed o go in o his digi al de ox wi hou a came a. [. . .]. Bu I sec e ly b ough along a li le poin -and-shoo , because [. . .] aking pho os has ac ually become a pa o my a els— [. . .] I don’ uly enjoy one wi hou he o he .” (Amanda, 2016). Fo many, a eling wi hou a came a is no longe seen as eal a eling. The unplugged ou is migh be ying o escape, bu he escape has o be well documen ed. The di icul y o sepa a ing ou is s om hei came as may explain why many digi al de ox p o ide s ac ually allow he use o analog came as. Bu e en when came as a e allowed, he dis inc ion be ween he digi al and he analog unde lies he c i e ia o deciding which came as a e ecommended. Camp G ounded, o example, only allowed he usage o one-way came as. The es ic ed capaci y o a ilm oll is hen u ned in o a i ue. Tha limi o ces he use o e lec when aking an image: The e’s omance and i ual o using ilm— licking open he came a o load a new oll, se ing he ab on i s spool, winding he ilm back up a he end, clu ching a mys e ious cache o images in you is . [. . .] Only when you see he p in s will you know wha you sho . [. . .] And when you’ e done, you don’ jus ha e a chip packed wi h bi s and by es, bu a memo y made angible and ameable—and indable yea s la e in a d awe (Clemence, 2017). 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Tho én C, Edenius M, Lunds öm JE, e al. (2019) The hips e ’s dilemma: wha is analogue o digi al in he pos -digi al socie y? Con e gence 25(2): 324–339. Tu kle S (2011) Alone Toge he : Why We Expec Mo e om Technology and Less om Each O he . New Yo k: Basic Books. U y J and La sen J (2011) The Tou is Gaze 3.0. 3 d ed. London: SAGE. Van Dijck J (2013) The Cul u e o Connec i i y: A C i ical His o y o Social Media. Ox o d: Ox o d Uni e si y P ess. Wang N (1999) Re hinking au hen ici y in ou ism expe ience. Annals o Tou ism Resea ch 26(2): 349–370. Au ho biog aphies U s S äheli is p o esso o Sociology a he Uni e si y o Hambu g since 2010. His esea ch in e - es s include digi al de ox cul u es, dis/connec i i y, pos s uc u alism and sys ems heo y, and a ec heo y. Luise S ol enbe g is a esea ch associa e a Ha enCi y Uni e si y Hambu g specializing in u ban sociology, ou ism sociology, new u ban ou ism, and u ban planning. She holds a doc o a e in sociology om he Uni e si y o Hambu g.