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For centuries, pious Christians have abstained from one or many normal activities during the 40 days of Lent as a sacrifice to God. In the Middle Ages, that meant meat or dairy. Now for some area students it means something that they deem just as precious as food: technology.

"The idea of Lent is sacrifice, and to give up something you really need," said Susan Gibbs, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Washington. "So for students to give up their iPods or texting it makes a lot of sense, and it's a smart thing and a good thing."

At the Connelly School of the Holy Child in Potomac, students wrote items they were giving up for Lent on crosses made of lavender construction paper on Ash Wednesday, which marks the first day of Lent. Purple is a color symbolic of the season of Lent for Catholics.

While some students noted good deeds they hoped to accomplish during the season — such as reaching out to others and being more forgiving — others decided to try going low-fi for the season.

Eighth-grader Dani Dell'Isola said she decided to give up video games after she noticed she was spending too much time using her Microsoft Xbox and Sony PS2. "I play it a lot, sometimes more than I do my homework," Dell'Isola said.

It was between video games and chocolate for Dell'Isola, though she said chocolate would have been too hard. "It made me more responsible with my schoolwork, and my parents are proud of me," she said.

Texting was another popular technology some Holy Child students decided to give up this Lent. Often, students say, they can send up to 100 text messages a day, so going cold turkey was no easy feat.  "Some of my friend don't know that I gave it up, so they text me thinking I would respond," said sixth-grader Elle Goodwin. "People try to call me and ask me, ‘Why aren't you texting?'"

Students say that giving up texting, while difficult, has saved some money an also been a way of cutting back on the temptation to gossip.

Eighth-grader Lauren Raffensperger, who also gave up texting, said she found herself becoming more reliant on technology since she injured her knee. But she said she's discovered there are other ways to pass the time, and has even taken up making collages. "Nowadays everybody cares about new technology, but you don't need to live with a phone and texting," Raffensperger said.

Facebook was the sacrifice of choice for two students at Kensington's Academy of the Holy Cross. The popular social networking Web site has been an integral part of most teens' social lives.

"Giving something up like this in Lent helps you realize that there are more important things that we should be focusing our attention on," said junior T'Keyah Peters-Newell. "It helps you to live a simpler life and to do without."

Kelly Mitchell, also a junior at the school, has replaced Facebook with basketball practice and homework, and said abstaining from Facebook was harder than she thought it would be.

And while both teens have given up Facebook, neither has been willing to go completely unplugged. They both still text regularly.

For every student giving up technology this lent, there are still students at other schools abstaining from more traditional things. Sacrifices at St. Bartholomew School in Bethesda include refraining from "biting my fingernails," and "bothering my little sister," while students at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Bethesda have also given up more traditional pastimes, like candy-eating.

And while Gibbs said she applauds the children and teens for their technological sacrifices, she said she hopes they don't give up one piece of technology.

"We actually decided to go to technology for Lent," she said. "We just started a blog and a YouTube page. We're trying to bring people to the church by using technology."

Staff Writer Peggy McEwan contributed to this report.