Friday, August 26, 2011

The Terrible Truth About Technology


It all started when Mum got a new laptop. Her old netbook, no longer needed, was passed down the line to me. Suddenly a whole new world was open to me. I had instant access to the internet whenever I needed (or wanted) it. I could write anywhere in the house, not just at my desk. The possibilities were endless. Certainly I could update my blog far more regularly.

Time passed. I was quite in love with my little netbook. Everyday there were blog posts to read, comment on, and to write. Then, one day, Gemma-Rose asked me to do something for her.

"In a minute," I mumbled, absorbed in my blog reading. "I'm busy."

"You're always on your laptop," she complained.

"No I'm not." I thought back guiltily to the hours I'd already spent on the internet that day. I wasn't always on the internet...was I?

"I've been reading this great book about Jane Austen," Charlotte said. "You should read it."

"I will." The book went back to the library without my having read it. Where was I? On the internet of course.

Finally, I realised that something must be done. "You're spending too much time on the internet," I told myself. "You don't need to check every blog sixteen times a day, or click every single link to find out where it goes. You're just wasting time and you know it."

And so, I have made a resolution. I shall not spend every single free minute on my netbook. I shall go outside and play with the little girls. I shall cook scones. I shall read real books. And I shan't miss it one little bit. But I have learnt the terrible truth about technology. If you're not careful, it'll take over your life. One day you'll wake up and realise that you are glued to your computer. So, who's in charge of your life, you or your computer?

Do you ever find that you're wasting time on the computer? How do you combat it? I'd love to hear about it.

7 comments:

  1. Same here, I'm afraid... I check the dashboard 4 times a day... But I do manage, when I have a book out, to spend all day reasing, even to the detriment of my homework...:)Yes, I'm afraid I've gotthe Internet plague, and no, I don't know what to do about it.:D

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  2. I know what you mean. While I don't feel like blogging's a waste of time -- networking and future publicity and all that -- I think it's sometimes tricky to balance that and writing. I seem to go in short bursts where one gets more time than the other, so I'm still working on the system. At least they cancel out, I guess. Anyway, I'm glad you realized this, and good luck with your resolution!

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  3. This was one of my problems until recently. I realised that with all the indoor time I had I was becoming very inactive and unfit and I wasn't readin as much either or doing craft or anything. I'd just randomly search things . Bad, bad bad.
    So I set myself a goal I told myself that not using the oppurtunitys I had to enjoy myself with family and enjoy the ourtdoors and take proper care of my body was wrong.
    I have a set time for getting up on schooldays and try not to touch the computer but, generally mornings I check emails and afternoon/evening I go on blogger. I have a good fitness program going and am getting great results. And if I stick to my goals and do my fitness program each weekday and the end of the week I reward myself. By reading an Agatha Christie.
    Think about what you want to acheive in life : Will searching this help my future in anyway? Do I really want to look at that/ What could I do thats better for me and more fun instead of not using my time wisely?
    Technology is a blessing but it can also be a trap if not used wisely.
    Set yourself some goals pray about what you could do to use your time more productively.
    I'm sure you'll figure it out, I hope you do.
    Or you could just get your Mum to set up a password on your computer that only she knows. Voila! You can't even get on unless mum unlocks it. :D
    But, thats probably not a great idea as you won't conquer your problem yourself.
    ~
    Autumn

    P.S. Sorry for the SUPER long comment. I hope it helps you.

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  4. Yes, the computer can take over, can't it?!! Maybe, having a set time(s) to do computer work is the answer. But, on the other hand, I've also noticed that anything new is a novelty, at first. After a while, life often finds its equilibrium, again. Another thing I've found is that having just a small group of special blogging friends is more manageable. It doesn't take long to keep up with it all. And, I've also discovered that there's not a lot out there that's new, anymore (including my own blog!), so it's not usually worth the time to go blog-hopping.

    It sounds as though life is very full and interesting for you, Immy. At least, you're not glued to the computer out of boredom:)

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  5. I'm worse JT, I check it about ten times. I'm obsessed with checking stats too. I love to see that people have been reading my writing. I hope to read far more books now that I'm going to spend less time blogging.

    Jenna, when I sit down to write, I generally hop on the internet first, then before I know it times flown past and I haven't written a word. It was easier when I just used a desktop computer which wasn't connected to the internet. But I gave that to my sister so now I'll just have to be strict with myself. At least your times cancel each other out. I'm afraid mine don't!

    Thank you both for stopping to comment. I've really enjoyed reading your comments.

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  6. Autumn, thanks for your comment. I was so pleased to see such a long comment on this post.

    Being on the internet made me very sedentary as well. But then Mum, Charlotte, and I all started exercising right before lunch, so we're getting in some good exercise so that sitting around doesn't hurt us quite as much.

    At the moment I'm resolved to read the posts on the blogs that I follow, to comment on them, to write a new post every day or so, and TO DO NOTHING ELSE! I just don't really trust myself when it comes to links. Maybe when I think I can trust myself I'll be able to go bloghopping a bit, just to find some new blogs, but for now I must be strict.

    I hope to achieve so much more now that I hope to have more time. I used to knit and read and spend time with my sisters, but once computer time took over, well, all that went out the window. I want to get busy with more creative stuff now.

    Thank you so much for your lovely long comment. I really enjoyed both reading it and replying to it.

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  7. Aunty Vicky, I'm trying to only check the blogs I read at morning tea time. Then in the evening, after everything's done, I hope to write a blogpost. And hopefully (all going well) I'll have plenty of time for hobbies and family time in between.

    I think it's more of a fact that I like to waste time rather than that it's a novelty, though I can imagine that that's how it all started. At first I wanted to find a variety of blogs to read, but now I have to stop hunting and just be satisfied with what I have found.

    Thank you for your lovely comment. I'm really enjoying this discussion with everyone.

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