I was never conscious of how dependent I was on the Internet until the moment the plane landed in Accra, Ghana. My first instinct was to reach down into my bag and check my phone for messages and to see what was happening on social media. It was then that I realized I couldn’t do that, unless I wanted my phone bill to cost a fortune.

For the next few hours, I would subconsciously reach for my phone to check iMessage or Instagram before realizing that I still couldn’t do that. It opened my eyes to how often I use the Internet in the United States, and also how dependent I am on my phone to connect with family and friends, or to just distract myself.

Upon arrival to the house, the struggle continued. We received basic Samsung phones to call or text home, but no one’s iPhones were cooperating with the wifi. I spent about thirty minutes trying to check e-mail, Twitter and Facebook before accepting my fate and letting go of my need to see what others are up to.

When I started my internship at Today newspaper, my wifi issues continued. Power outages are common in Ghana, and even when the wifi is working it can be slow with so many people in the office trying to access it. I found it challenging to do my job, because I’m working in an industry that is dependent on a 24-hour news cycle. Scrolling through online publications and reading news outlets’ websites is where I get most of my information.

However, the lack of wifi has opened my eyes to other forms of media. My office always has a news radio station playing, where local reporters discuss current events in the area. Back home, I never listen to news radio, but my experience here is convincing me that I should. It’s soothing to listen to people’s voices recount and discuss the major stories of the day without the distraction of visuals.

I think the absence of visuals helps me develop my own opinion on issues, and I feel less likely to experience bias in reporting. Visual ethics is a controversial topic right now, especially in regards to how news organizations are using imagery to depict events and how this affects viewers. With radio, I don’t have to worry about the visual bias.

Since the start of the trip, the wifi situation has improved at home and at work with the installation of new routers. However, over the past few weeks as I’ve looked around Accra, Cape Cost, and Kumasi, I’ve hardly seen anyone staring at a phone around town. Instead, I see Ghanaians engaging with other people. It’s not uncommon for complete strangers to approach you and ask, “Hello, how are you?”

I am hoping that my time in Ghana encourages me to engage with my surroundings more, and to take this mentality back to the U.S. So far, I’ve been somewhat successful in breaking my habit of being dependent on my smart phone and the Internet. In an age where technology is so readily accessible, it’s too easy to lose sight of the present.