Mayim Bialik Went Into Complete Isolation After Being Kicked Off Jeopardy
Last week, Mayim Bialik posted a 12-minute video on her YouTube page that highlighted her digital detox after stepping down from her hosting duties on Jeopardy! and needing some time for herself to get a little introspective. In her own words, she stated that she had become increasingly unhappy with her station in life, and largely attributed her unhappiness to how “plugged in” she was all the time. Though her self-imposed isolation happened after Ken Jennings officially took on full-time hosting duties for Jeopardy!, it seems as if this was something that she wanted to do for a long time.
Since parting ways with Jeopardy! Mayim Bialik decided to go completely off-grid for a two-week period, and says that it was the right move to make.
It goes without question that Jeopardy! has not been the same since Alex Trebek’s passing in November 2020, and Mayim Bialik’s presence on the show has been rife with controversy since she took on hosting duties alongside Ken Jennings.
Ken Jennings Takes Over Jeopardy Hosting Duties
While fans of the long-running game show have criticized her in the past for inconsistent hosting rules, Bialik ultimately stepped down from her hosting duties to stand in solidarity with the Writers Guild of America strike as they fight for better working conditions in the industry. After stepping down in the middle of season 39’s production run, it was announced that Ken Jennings, who split hosing duties with Bialik, will be taking over indefinitely.
Since parting ways with Jeopardy! Mayim Bialik decided to go completely off-grid for a two-week period, and says that it was the right move to make. The Big Bang Theory star listed four reasons that she decided to take this route, and in doing so hopes to inspire others to reevaluate their relationships with technology.
The first reason that Mayim Bialik blacked out her technology after leaving Jeopardy! was to formally reconnect with herself. In so many words, Bialik referred to herself as an old soul who simply doesn’t need to be plugged in 24/7.
Her second point elaborated on this sentiment, when shes stated that it’s okay to have unstructured time. Prior to Mayim Bailik’s Jeopardy! exit, she was constantly checking her phone, and felt the very real anxieties that came along with being overstimulated by technology, and the constant demands that come along with it while working in show-business.
By reprogramming her relationship with technology, she rediscovered the magic that comes along with being bored, and pursuing creativity with no set agenda.
Though Mayim Bialik hosted Jeopardy! she didn’t feel intellectually stimulated, which was her third point. By disconnecting from the internet, she felt herself reading books she had been meaning to read for years, and she got back into painting, a longtime abandoned hobby. This is very much in line with her fourth point, that there is no need for urgency.
Prior to Mayim Bailik’s Jeopardy! exit, she was constantly checking her phone, and felt the very real anxieties that came along with being overstimulated by technology.
Though Mayim Bialik completely stepped away from technology after her Jeopardy! exit, her behavior wasn’t all that extreme when you break it down. Even though she ceased regular communications with her friends, family, and colleagues during this two-week period, she stated that if somebody needed to reach her, they’d know how to.
But by finding an off-grid operating frequency that is more in tune with her personality, she hopes to take the lessons she learned during her isolation, and apply them to her reintegrated life now that she’s back on the grid.
