Blocky Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 Do you ever find yourself spending too much time on the computer, zoning out too much, or getting down from the drama of world wide web? Lately I've been spending way too much time on here. I'm going to take a week off. I have an autoimmune disease and it's hard for me to find where my sickness ends and my laziness starts. I figure if I'm not going to feel good, I can at least not feel good and have the dishes not piled up. Striving for balance. Quote
lizzy16 Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 good luck :) If I took a break from the internet I'd fail every single class i'm taking. All the hw is submitted online. Liz. Quote
pam Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 Only when forced to. I earn part of my living using the internet. Quote
Dravin Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 I'll burn out of various activities of the internet just as I'll burn out of reading or TV. Like Lizzy though taking a 100% break from the internet isn't an option for me but I suspect considering your concern is balancing life obligations you wouldn't consider homework (or job) to be a 'violation' of such a break. Quote
Guest Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 Well, "the internet" is pretty broad with a very wide range of applications. I don't take breaks from "the internet". LDS.net, sure. I only go on forums and such to pass dead time (while waiting for something). But, the internet supplies the information I need for my daily life - GPS system, Weather, News, Traffic Conditions, School Lunch Menu, Calendar, Recipe for Dinner, messages from my mother, etc. And that's not even counting special applications like Work and Schoolwork. Quote
applepansy Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 Do you ever find yourself spending too much time on the computer, zoning out too much, or getting down from the drama of world wide web? Lately I've been spending way too much time on here. I'm going to take a week off.I have an autoimmune disease and it's hard for me to find where my sickness ends and my laziness starts. I figure if I'm not going to feel good, I can at least not feel good and have the dishes not piled up. Striving for balance.Yes I have to take breaks. I too have an autoimmune/chronic disease and its tough to make myself move through the pain and fatigue. Its easy to just sit here all day sometimes. My mind is occupied and my body isn't screaming at me. But... for my mind to not get stressed I have to do something productive every day. My grandson helps keep me moving too. :) Quote
beefche Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 A friend goes on a "fast" for 30 days once a year in their personal life (not work life as this is almost impossible to do). The whole family unplugs, as much as possible. Obviously, the phone is a necessary tool today, so they keep that, but try to limit phone calls to necessity only. They use email (since their church callings and other obligations require it), but again only as a necessity. They do not visit forums, other websites, play games, watch TV, etc. They find other means of entertainment--board/card games with family, reading, talking, cooking, etc. Sounds like a good plan. I'd like to try it sometime--probably during the summer when outdoor activities would be more accessible. Quote
Backroads Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 Beefche, I love that plan. I do occassionaly, but lately it's never been more than a few days. Quote
Bini Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 Yes I do take breaks from the internet. My longest break is when I go to sleep but I'm always "connected" to the internet via my iPhone. But even then, I'm not always actively browsing or posting online, I just tend to stay logged in. Thankfully, I've never had a job that required me to be attached to the internet 24/7, or close to. And all my schooling was done the old fashioned way.. by getting my butt up out of bed and attending class! Man how I wish I could have done all that online but it just wasn't an option for me :] Quote
JudoMinja Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 I do take breaks from the internet and occassionally from all forms of electronic media and entertainment. I usually go maybe one weekend a month without access to the internet, and sometimes I'll go on trips where I spend my time outdoors, camping, etc. and remain "unplugged" from the social world. Quote
Jezebel2011 Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 Yes I have to take breaks. I too have an autoimmune/chronic disease and its tough to make myself move through the pain and fatigue. Its easy to just sit here all day sometimes. My mind is occupied and my body isn't screaming at me. But... for my mind to not get stressed I have to do something productive every day. My grandson helps keep me moving too. :)I have the autoimmune/chronic disease too, so that is now three of us. At least if I have a really bad pain day I can still get stuff done online and keep in touch with the outside world via the internet. Quote
Mahone Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 Something I'd love to do, for at least a week or so, but it's not really possible. Back in Jan 2010, I was sat on an almost deserted beach in West Africa, in a poverty stricken country that barely has electricity, let alone computers. And there I was with my iPhone, browsing e-mails via 3G. If I can't get away from it there, I'll never get away from it here. Need to try hanging around with the indigenous peoples in Brazil next... Quote
applepansy Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 I have the autoimmune/chronic disease too, so that is now three of us. At least if I have a really bad pain day I can still get stuff done online and keep in touch with the outside world via the internet.I'm sorry you're in this club. But its nice to know others struggle with it too. The internet has saved my sanity. But... sometimes I wish it wasn't so easy because I tend to procrastinate and play online instead. Quote
Maureen Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 A friend goes on a "fast" for 30 days once a year in their personal life (not work life as this is almost impossible to do). The whole family unplugs, as much as possible. Obviously, the phone is a necessary tool today, so they keep that, but try to limit phone calls to necessity only. They use email (since their church callings and other obligations require it), but again only as a necessity. They do not visit forums, other websites, play games, watch TV, etc. They find other means of entertainment--board/card games with family, reading, talking, cooking, etc.Sounds like a good plan. I'd like to try it sometime--probably during the summer when outdoor activities would be more accessible. I have a SIL and her family that do this. They've even fasted from the radio and music, which I can't imagine. I've always wondered that if some emergency occured during this fast that gets sent out via radio or television, if this could be detrimental.M. Quote
Guest Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 I don't understand the need for fasting from the internet. I get the "survival preparation" necessity of testing out living without electricity or even going so far as living the Amish lifestyle for a spell to prepare the family for an emergency. But, fasting from the internet just for the sake of fasting, to me, is like fasting from the family car. I don't understand the need for it. We do sometimes go on a no-electric-lights night and go with candles only and the fireplace. It's an ambience thing though. In winter, it makes everything feel very cozy. Quote
Dravin Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 Something I'd love to do, for at least a week or so, but it's not really possible.Back in Jan 2010, I was sat on an almost deserted beach in West Africa, in a poverty stricken country that barely has electricity, let alone computers. And there I was with my iPhone, browsing e-mails via 3G. If I can't get away from it there, I'll never get away from it here.Need to try hanging around with the indigenous peoples in Brazil next...Just go camping in Alaska, just make sure to get off the beaten path. Actually I suspect some areas of Canada would work just as well. Quote
Bini Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 I don't understand the need for fasting from the internet. I get the "survival preparation" necessity of testing out living without electricity or even going so far as living the Amish lifestyle for a spell to prepare the family for an emergency. But, fasting from the internet just for the sake of fasting, to me, is like fasting from the family car. I don't understand the need for it.We do sometimes go on a no-electric-lights night and go with candles only and the fireplace. It's an ambience thing though. In winter, it makes everything feel very cozy.Not sure if you're directly responding to Beefche but I think I understand the reasoning behind the concept of fasting from the internet, electronics etc. The point seems to be to strengthen other means of communication and entertainment, without the intervention of the internet and other forms of media. I personally couldn't do it because I enjoy illustrating as a hobby, which involves using Photoshop and that program runs on my computer. But otherwise, I think there's definitely a lot to be learned from "unplugging" from such things, even if not completely restricting internet access and all electronics. Quote
Dravin Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 (edited) I think I could get behind a shorter periodic internet (or even electronics) fast, but 30 days? I don't own enough books. Edited January 17, 2012 by Dravin Quote
Backroads Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 I think I could get behind a shorter periodic internet (or even electronics) fast, but 30 days? I don't own enough books.I do, sadly enough. Husband doesn't believe in getting rid of books. Quote
Guest Posted January 17, 2012 Report Posted January 17, 2012 Not sure if you're directly responding to Beefche but I think I understand the reasoning behind the concept of fasting from the internet, electronics etc. The point seems to be to strengthen other means of communication and entertainment, without the intervention of the internet and other forms of media. I personally couldn't do it because I enjoy illustrating as a hobby, which involves using Photoshop and that program runs on my computer. But otherwise, I think there's definitely a lot to be learned from "unplugging" from such things, even if not completely restricting internet access and all electronics.<bold mine>But that's not the sole purpose of the internet. If you say, unplug from Facebook, then ok. I guess I understand that. But even so, unplugging from the internet to strengthen other means of communication is, to me, kinda like unplugging from the family car to improve your running/walking skills... or unplugging the farm tractor to strengthen the plowing skills of the horse plow... it doesn't make sense to me.The internet is not "in lieu" of the monopoloy board game. They exist pretty harmoniously side by side. My coolibah app where I do scrapbooking is "in lieu" of my acid-free decorator papers, fancy scissors, and thick, bulky albums. But, I say good riddance! Just like we're never going back to taking a dump in the outhouse, I'm not going back to the paper albums... Quote
Bini Posted January 18, 2012 Report Posted January 18, 2012 Not me! I looove the paper scrapbooking. The time consumption and bits-n-pieces everywhere can get out of hand but I love being able to "touch" that stuff. I'm doing my daughter's baby book and I'm putting things in there like a lock of her newborn hair. Can't do that on a virtual album. But out of curiosity, I'm definitely checking out that app! Quote
pam Posted January 18, 2012 Report Posted January 18, 2012 (edited) I'm with you Bini. I much prefer the hands on type of scrapbooking. And now that the subject has come up, maybe I need to take a break from the internet to do some scrapbooking. :) Edited January 18, 2012 by pam Quote
annewandering Posted January 18, 2012 Report Posted January 18, 2012 I quit my game, FFXI, mostly because we have a lot of house fixing to do this year and I dont want to get sidetracked. What autoimmune disease are you all referring to? Sounds like a lot of us belong to the chronic pain group. Computers are wonderful for us, arent they! Quote
slamjet Posted January 18, 2012 Report Posted January 18, 2012 Carpel tunnel. I have to have BIG FAT pens to write with because it's too painful to use those skinny things. And even at that, I can only write for so long. But the internet is my life. I need it to access servers, insurances, research, codes, emails, etc. Otherwise I would not be able to make what meager living I can. And soon my schooling. And lest I forget, I don't have cable and I cannot get any TV reception so use the internet to stream my entertainment, talks and conference. Quote
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