Why I’m going to use the internet less, and also more, in 2016
Many people I know get angsty over their internet use. “Facebook is such a waste of time” they’ll say, and then they get pangs of guilt when they give in and login just one more time.
Hogwash I say, for a few reasons:
- People need to rest and recuperate
- The internet is a fantastic way to spend your time while resting
- The internet lets you connect with people in your life
The North American work ethic has taught us that ‘productivity is king’. The only proper way to spend time is by doing something at least tangentially related to having economic value. Setting how flawed this mindset is aside, even if we still want to be productive resting and recuperating is a key part of that, and spending time zoning out on the internet offers that recuperation.
So one thing I’ve realized about myself is that.. yea, maybe I do like social media, forums, e-mail, google, and the like, and maybe I’d be more productive if I spent more of my time just accepting that I need to recuperate from my busy life.
On the other hand, too often over the past decade I’ve replaced face time with internet time. No doubt that not yet owning a car makes it a lot easier to catch up with friends without ever leaving my house, but I think there’s something to be said for face-to-face interaction that online chatting can’t compare to.
Meeting with people in real life, and doing real things, builds much stronger relationships, and offers richer experiences. And so while sometimes I’ll give in and use the internet more, guilt-free, there’s something to be said for getting out of the social-media cycle, getting away from your computer and seeing or talking to people.