Silicon Valley Says Step Away From the Device!

[banjobama]

Originally Posted by xg4bx

I'm an internet addict and I get angry at myself for it but its hard to stop. I sit here all night mindlessly refreshing the same sites and boards, then I get angry at myself for not getting any reading done when its time to go to bed.

In reality, all of my internet business can be conducted in 10 minutes. But that 10 minutes magically transforms into 10 hours.

So, so true. I'll sit down to do something like pay a bill and I'll end up watching one mindless YouTube video after another. I actually have to get up and walk away to "break the spell."

[Giggleton]

The network is powerful stuff. I like to disconnect every now and again, and limit my connectivity to a few stationary devices, although I do carry around a wifi device just in case.

We are all cyborgs of course, interconnected by the medium. How much of me is you and how much of you is me?

[piper28]

I've definitely found that I'm a happier person if I spend a little less time online. I've tried to be better in recent years compared to where I was a number of years ago. And I'm definitely better than I was back in the days I was an admin on a MUD - looking back, I'm amazed that I didn't completely destroy my life with that (and it arguably did have major reprecussions on my life).

Nowadays, I relish the times I can completely get away with things. My current method of taking vacations is to cruise, and internet time is so expensive on cruises, that it keeps me offline. And believe me, a week or two without spending time online, that can be quite refreshing. (Of course, then I pay for that week or two when I get back to work.)

[xg4bx]

Originally Posted by tdonline

I'm an addict too and am undergoing "web rehab". I'm on Day 11. I fell off the wagon yesterday and was online for 10 hours straight and went to bed at 4AM...I'm not proud but today was a new day and all I could do was get back in the saddle.

mine has decimated my sleep cycle. i'm (unfortunately)unemployed and i haven't been going to bed until about noon and waking up at 7, 8 at night. its getting impossible to have a life like this but i find myself craving non-stop information, even if its useless information. and on days i wake up and the cable/internet is down or my wife is on the computer, i almost start itching like a junkie when my routine is interrupted. i'm so afraid that i'm going to miss something that my mind can't turn off and i have to take melatonin to get to sleep.

i should probably go speak to somebody. i may have undiagnosed OCD or mild aspergers or something and the internet is feeding/a symptom of my problem.

[tdonline]

Originally Posted by xg4bx

mine has decimated my sleep cycle. i'm (unfortunately)unemployed and i haven't been going to bed until about noon and waking up at 7, 8 at night. its getting impossible to have a life like this but i find myself craving non-stop information, even if its useless information. and on days i wake up and the cable/internet is down or my wife is on the computer, i almost start itching like a junkie when my routine is interrupted. i'm so afraid that i'm going to miss something that my mind can't turn off and i have to take melatonin to get to sleep.

i should probably go speak to somebody. i may have undiagnosed OCD or mild aspergers or something and the internet is feeding/a symptom of my problem.

xg4bx, google "web rehab". I try to avoid shilling products, but take a look at this e-book. It's not perfect but I found it to be a good place to organize my own rehab process. The author sought therapy for OCD and discovered that what helped that disorder could also help his internet addiction.

I'm in the same boat you're in; I've been unemployed since December and my bad internet addiction became a lot worse since being unemployed. I think I have a pretty good general idea where you are. I'm starting work soon and I decided that if I didn't want to mess up this opportunity, I needed to address this issue. I've tried many things over the years--software that blocked internet access, dropping DSL altogether at home and years of therapy (though it wasn't just about my internet addiction). None of them stuck. I don't know if this round will work for good either, but I know I have to give it a shot.

And yes, I do have withdrawal and craving symptoms. It's incredible how the brain can be trained--both good and bad. I'm now trying to re-wire it...

[badgoodDeb]

Oh dear. All these symptoms sound too familiar.....

[ebusinesstutor]

I work from home so I am on the computer all day. So I make sure at least one of my hobbies (star gazing) is monitor-free.

I have a telescope and enjoy looking through it for hours. I thought of getting into astro-photography, but that would involve hooking up a laptop and hours of post processing on the computer so I decided to keep this one hobby lower tech.

Except for Sky Safari Pro on my Galaxy Note as my sky chart - oops!

[Tony1988]

I believe most people do now spend too much time online. Between a computer, tablet and smartphone some people are online all day long. I cant seem to go out witout seeing someone with their face stuck in a device. The trick is just get off the chair and do something else. Its not hard. 2/3 of the US are loaded with fat people. People need to get out and excercise. It will make you feel much better.

My suggestion: Take at least one hour a day to do some type of excercise. Change it up every month or so. Everyone here likes to read do they not?? Well go get an excercise book and start a regime. Trust me its not hard. Once you start you get used to it and it ends up being fun. Make it a priority instead of sitting in front of a computer staring at the same web page over and over again hoping to see some new news or video. LOL

Seems the only time many people excercise is between Jan 1 and early to mid February. After that its off to the fat races again. People set themselves up for failure when they give themselves a start time to begin excercising. Just get up and do it. It will lead to other social activities.

Heres a good site for the ones who like to sit in front of a computer all day looking for something new to read or do....

http://www.bodybuilding.com/

go through the forums. Its one of the best excercise sites on the web. Several people who post there who have changed their bodies. Pretty inspiring.

[elcreative]

Why on earth would I want to risk my health doing stupid things like that especially "Body-building." You going to come and visit me in hospital when I ignore my doc's recommendations to do silly things like you're suggesting... I get plenty of exercise and activity within the limits set by my physio but wouldn't go near a gym or do an hour of exercise a day (three or four ten minute spells fine) or regard body building as worthy of consideration at all... haven't got the time, have a life (and want to keep it)...

My suggestion: Do what's right for you... by all means spend less time online if it dominates your life... bear in mind that different people have different needs and the above suggestions could be actively harmful to some people...

[Tony1988]

Originally Posted by elcreative

Why on earth would I want to risk my health doing stupid things like that especially "Body-building." You going to come and visit me in hospital when I ignore my doc's recommendations to do silly things like you're suggesting... I get plenty of exercise and activity within the limits set by my physio but wouldn't go near a gym or do an hour of exercise a day (three or four ten minute spells fine) or regard body building as worthy of consideration at all... haven't got the time, have a life (and want to keep it)...

My suggestion: Do what's right for you... by all means spend less time online if it dominates your life... bear in mind that different people have different needs and the above suggestions could be actively harmful to some people...

Just because its called bodybuilding.com doesnt mean its just for building big muscles. As for an hour several people run or do alternate excercise every day. Thats nice that you do a few minutes a day. I was throwing out a suggestion. Simple fact is most people do not excercise, they now spend much of their time on the tv, computer smartphone etc. Weight lifting wont kill you by the way. As long as you do it properly.

[MikeB1972]

Originally Posted by Tony1988

Weight lifting wont kill you by the way. As long as you do it properly.

Larger remote and just drink out of stein's?

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by ebusinesstutor

I work from home so I am on the computer all day. So I make sure at least one of my hobbies (star gazing) is monitor-free.

I have a telescope and enjoy looking through it for hours. I thought of getting into astro-photography, but that would involve hooking up a laptop and hours of post processing on the computer so I decided to keep this one hobby lower tech.

Except for Sky Safari Pro on my Galaxy Note as my sky chart - oops!

What about Google Sky?

[5thWiggle]

Originally Posted by kennyc

What about Google Sky?

Google Sky requires a data connection. Sky Safari doesn't and the plus and pro versions will control a powered telescope mount.

I don't have the Pro version like ebusinesstutor, but the base version has a very good database (Pro and Plus have larger databases).

The few times I tried Sky, the display jumped around like a rabbit on crack and it ate data at almost the rate of Google Earth. It may be better now, but I've got Sky Safari now and it is more than adequate for me and my cheap a$$ telescope.

[applesauce]

I think it is a balance. my kids are straight As and have always studied infront of the tv. We have the tv on all the time but unless it is music 90% is pre recorded and I can not remember a show I have not paused to answer a question or talk to somebody. That is how it is. All have laptops in the lounge with the tv and phones. Everybody in the house besides me is a gym junkie. I walk for an hour a day. The others prefer the gym, funny enough the son is a body builder. Everybody goes out and has a life. Both kids are at uni and have part time jobs.

So it just depends on your family.

applesauce