The term “living off-the-grid” can conjure up images of conspiracy theorists opposed to technological advances or hermits opposed to human interaction. This unfortunate stigma comes from a misunderstanding of what living off-the-grid is.
Going off-grid means living an independent, self-sustaining lifestyle that doesn’t rely on public utilities like water and sewage. It’s time to find a new path: common reasons people live off-the-grid are plenty, and understanding them offers insight into the true nature of this lifestyle.
Avoiding Negative Effects of Technology
Technology has changed virtually every aspect of our daily lives, from communication to transportation. But as many benefits as it offers, many point out its negative effects, such as:
- Eyestrain
- Sleep problems
- Isolation
- Distraction
- Cyberbullying
- Electromagnetic radiation (EMR)
People living off-grid seek to live a life less consumed by technology by not living in an area close to EMR or EMF sources or an internet connection.
Improving Survival
Another consequence of advancing technology is how our reliance on it has made us lose out on key survival skills that humans have learned since the dawn of time.
We lose skills such as producing our own food and clothes, building fires, and interacting with nature. And this idea is troubling, especially if a day ever came where we had to do without these advances. Off-the-grid living helps to home these ideas and improve our survival.
Reduce Environmental Impact
The average US citizen has a carbon footprint of approximately 16 tons, including household energy consumption. A person living off-grid typically has to find alternative energy sources, like solar and wind. Because of that, they use significantly less energy than average, thus helping the environment.
Those living off-grid also typically produce most of their food through onsite gardens. This helps reduce carbon emissions from large-scale meatpacking operations and vehicles transporting food from distant farms.
Boosting Self-Sufficiency
One of the most common reasons people live off-the-grid reflects the attitude of transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau. When he famously moved into a log cabin on Walden Pond during the Industrial Revolution, he wrote that he wanted to “live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach.”
Off-grid living allows people to experience the pleasure of a fully self-sufficient lifestyle, unburdened by the distractions of other kinds of living. This allure of independence has drawn people in for generations, and—if the increasing number of those going off-grid is any indication—it will continue to in the future.
Authored by Inspire Your Journey