Unplugged

Technology is a ubiquitous feature of modern life that has been viewed as both a blessing and a curse. Unplugged tackles the topic of the proper role of technology by depicting a world from which it is absent. The novel is set at a wellness camp in which all the guests are required to surrender their phones, computers, and any other tech they use daily. Oasis founder Magnus Fellini is adamant that technology obstructs authentic communication rather than enhancing it. While the adults who visit the Oasis are unhappy to give up their gadgets, 12-year-old Jett Baranov feels particularly outraged because his father is the head of a major tech company. Jett has grown up with cutting-edge tech at his fingertips, but this luxury has done little to foster his growth as a human being.

Jett is the perfect embodiment of the threat that too much technology represents. As many experts in human psychology have noted, an excessive amount of time spent interfacing with some form of technology preempts time that might be spent interacting with real people and the world at large. While the problem affects everyone, young or old, excessive dependence on tech is a real danger to children and teens who are still developing the necessary social skills that are meant to serve them for a lifetime. Impaired emotional intelligence is a particular risk for young people who experience life virtually on social media.

In terms of the novel, Jett is the very definition of a young person who lacks emotional intelligence. Jett relies on technology to get him everything he needs in life. He has no friends, no pets, and barely communicates with his parents at all. When he arrives at the Oasis, being deprived of his tech crutch forces Jett to interact with his campmates, with nature, and with a tiny lizard named Needles. The latter bond has a transformative effect on his life.

While this plot development might suggest that the author shares the Oasis philosophy that a tech-free world is best, that isn’t the case. Instead, Unplugged acknowledges the necessity of technology in the modern world and the important role it plays. Magnus is depicted as an idealistic self-help guru who is too lost in the clouds to recognize the ground under his feet or the threat lurking within his own organization. During the book’s pivotal moments, various forms of technology save the day. The carnivorous lizard might die without proper food. Since the Oasis bans nonvegetarian meals, a motorboat offers the means for Jett and his friends to journey to a nearby town to buy meat for their pet. Magnus’s own daughter has retained a cell phone at the Oasis, even though this is forbidden. She uses it to call the police, who arrive just in time to prevent disaster. Vehicles are also forbidden, but two of the central characters hijack a golf cart to ride to the rescue of a friend. Similarly, Jett’s fireworks are triggered by a remote electronic detonator. This device allows him to escape his abductors.

Unplugged acknowledges the double-edged sword of technology for what it is. It can be either a blessing or a curse depending on how it is handled. The book stresses the need for balance and good judgment in managing this modern miracle. Since teens and young adults are the most likely group to abuse technology, Unplugged focuses on a 12-year-old boy and the lessons he learns in this regard. At the beginning of the story, Jett relies so heavily on technology that he cuts himself off from authentic human contact. By the end of the novel, he discovers an unexpected appreciation for nature and for his newfound friends. Unplugged concludes by suggesting that while technology may be a marvelous convenience, it should never be mistaken as a valid substitute for real life.