Balance Buster: Internet Addiction

Ironic, that I am on the internet writing about this particular buster of balance. The subject of internet addiction came up during my counseling class last night and it got me thinking. This might be a somewhat long and often tangential blog; for that, I apologize in advance.

I'll try to keep it as short and sensible as possible. So here goes:

I am a self-proclaimed internet addict. However, I don't know too many people in my generation who aren't. I mean, we practically grew up with the internet. The internet is used heavily for shopping, entertainment, socialization, research and education, and heck, I even met the man I'm going to marry online. So it's not all-in-all a bad thing. However, it can tend to get overwhelming, time consuming, wasteful, and just plain addictive.

Let me give you an example. Right now I do clerical work, so 95% of my workday is spent sitting in front of a computer screen. To be honest, this drives me insane, but right now it is the means to an end. This means that for nearly 8 hours every day I am tempted by the vastness of the web. It is hard to resist constantly looking up new information, checking facebook for updates, finding new blogs to keep me informed on different subjects, watching random youtube videos, and the gazillion other options offered within the giant chasm of the web. No wonder it seems that some people are working more hours and getting less done! Thankfully, I am not addicted to shopping or in an intimate relationship with a blackberry - I cringe to think where I'd be if that were the case!

The other thing is, the internet is the primary reason for my case of information overload. I mean, I can find arguments on any side of any topic I want to look into. It's disgusting really. I mean, I love having information and all but come on! For a person like me who suffers from "analysis paralysis", I feel like I have to look up every single angle of anything before I make a decision. I feel inclined to give another example here. I am trying to get my IRA where I want it to be...and I know that at my young age I need to invest in more aggressive things such as mutual funds, stocks, etc. Well, right now my money is just kind of sitting because I can't figure out which company to get my IRA with, which stocks to put them in, etc. The more I read, the more overwhelmed I get and the less likely I am to buckle down and make a decision. Right now, I have more than enough info to proceed, I just need to do it. But do I? No, I'd rather just keep looking up information til I explode. Oy! It can get so aggravating.

I could write more on the subject, but I hope the point has gotten across. Just in case that is not the case, here is the moral of the story: the internet is a dangerous necessity. It's hard to operate in today's culture without being very versed in the internet. However, it is easy to become consumed. I can spend hours upon hours online without even knowing it. I juggle between windows - reading a blog here, writing a blog there, checking a facebook status here, watching a youtube video there, etcetera, ad nauseam. Instead of feeling productive, I feel as though several hours of my very existence has gone to waste. I know that is a little overboard, but I look back and think how much I would have rather finished one of the good books I'm reading, called a friend, taken a walk, or done something more active. I know the choice is mine, I just need to learn to start consciously making that choice.

There are numerous habits I am trying to develop in my life, especially those related to health. So why don't I take the time I'm often "wasting" online doing nothing and go for a run, or cook some meals to take to work as lunch, or something like that? Instead of being obsessed with facebook updates, I should read a book that I might actually gain some knowledge from. Instead of reading that "Bob is enamoured with his new argyle sweater" I want to read about how to communicate better with friends.

I'd like to turn my love/hate relationship with the internet more toward love.