...If I did not check email and Facebook 57 times a day? If I didn't spend more time than I care to admit banging out logic puzzles (aka bookkeeping exercises) on brainbashers.com?
I have a short attention span; we all know that. I'm the first to admit the interwebs is a wonderful toy for those of us who enjoy self-soothing with an infinite and constantly changing source of entertainment. But does being wonderful make it the right thing to do?
Time for baby to step away from the pacifier and see what happens.
I'm not talking about legitimate computer tasks. Hell, my entire work day is spent in front of a computer. I bank online. I still need to check email once or twice a day. Since I don't get a newspaper, I could probably even rationalize clearing my Google Reader feeds and checking the weather over my morning coffee.
It's the random, brain-sucking "gosh I'm bored... let's poke at the interwebs and see what falls out" kind of shit that's gotta cease, at least for awhile. In fact, instead of having four computers on 24/7 at home, I might even consider turning them off when I'm not actively using them. The temperature in my house would probably drop three degrees.
How does no Facebook, email only first thing in the morning and last thing at night (seriously, I only get about 5 emails a day) and (gulp) no computer games or blogging sound?
Sounds like it's going to suck, actually. But I am intrigued enough by what might happen when my brain doesn't have that digital sugar tit to latch on to to give it a go.
Obviously I'm not talking about a complete digital withdrawal here. I'm just wondering what would happen if I throttled my addiction to the interwebs back down to a more reasonable, 56K modem level. What kind of mental energy would that free up, and how would I choose to spend it, once I've gnawed the erasers off all my pencils?
February's short, and it's still far enough off to give me two weeks to invent reasons why I can't do it. Sounds like a plan!
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Yes, it is an intriguing plan. You may find some new intrests that you like more. You could read some books, go out places. Why not? I'd be interested to know what you find out!
ReplyDeleteI think the internet is a means to an end, rather than an end in itself. Having said that, I can be guilty as the next person of checking my e-mails repeatedly, keeping my eye on twitter. There is something quite compulsive about it isn't there. Anyhow I guess blogging is an extension of that compulsion, but hopefully with a more productive objective, or an objective that shows that you are thinking or learning stuff or experiencing new stuff.
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