Go a whole weekend without turning on a radio or television, and if you can, even stay off of the Internet.

Call your friends (both local and out-of-town) one evening per week instead of watching any television.

Return to hobbies such as stamp collecting, playing a musical instrument, gardening, or playing word games one other weeknight instead of watching TV.

Allow yourself to selectively watch two hours of programming each Saturday and Sunday for one month.

Permit yourself one high-quality video per weekend during another month. The video has to inspire, inform, reflect history, be biographical, or be otherwise socially redeeming. Stop watching shoot-em-ups, chase scenes, and films that titillate but add little to your life.

If you walk or jog with a Walkman, undertake these exercises three times in a row without such a device so you can experience another way to jog: taking in what you pass on your trip.

Look for others seeking to wean themselves from electronics. Is there a book discussion group? How about a bowling league, outing club, or biking group?

Attend sporting events rather than viewing the same type of event on television. Watching a good high school baseball team or women's collegiate tennis match can be as rewarding as watching major-league baseball or Wimbledon, respectively. And you visibly support the athletes by being there.

Recognize that the number of DVDs, videos, CDs, computer games, and other electronic items competing for your attention exceeds the time you have in life to pay homage to them.

Recognize that rightly or wrongly, you've been programmed since birth to tune in to electronic media for news, information, entertainment, and diversion. It's by no means your only option.