Cyberspace Abstinence
Hello out there. I actually survived 24 hours without sing the Internet. It was actually easier than I thought. I usually use the Internet for homework purposes. I do not have enough time in a day to actually sit down and surf the net everyday.
My challenge was not being able to do homework for other classes. My time is precious. I hope we do not have to do this task again. Not being able to use the net threw my whole routine offline. I was able to get some reading done. I really did not is anything? The news paper had the local news and CNN had the stories that I wanted to hear. It actually worked out better (watching/listening) to CNN. It allowed me to multitask. I think the internet is helpful because it allows me to have information at my fingertips (literally). The internet is also time consuming. It is very easy to get side tracked while using the net. Sites like MySpace, Facebook, ESPN, and FoxSports can easily get one side tracked. I found that these sites take too much of my attention and the next thing I know, it is two hours later.
A funny thing happened. My nephew asked me to see what time a movie started and I said ok. He tried to use the phone to call the movie line and I told him he couldn’t use the phone. I told him to use another method. He then went to the computer, and I told him we could not use the computer for 24hours. (I made everyone follow the abstinence assignment in my house.) He then asked me, “Do I have to go all the way to the theater to find out?” I laughed at first, but then I realized how sad it was. I told him that the news paper was on the table. He still did not get it, so I showed him the entertainment section of the paper. My nephew is 14 yrs old and has never read a newspaper. He is hooked on the use of the Internet.
I remember going through middle school and high school and having to turn in current events from the news paper. I asked my nephew to find to events that pertain to the nation rather than local news and he did. He told me that he finds all of the news he wants to hear on MSN. He had no idea what was going on in Gaza. I tried to explain it to him.
Well back to the assignment, I did not have a hard time, but I was able to see how it affected the rest of my family. It seemed as if their whole social circle died in 24hrs. Now I know it was only 24hrs, but I do believe I would have a difficult time if the time frame was longer. It seems as if jobs and schools require one to use the internet at least once a day. Some examples of job use would include: ordering parts, sending emails, conference calls via the net, and research for new employees backgrounds. Examples of educational use would include: distant learning, research, different types of assignments, blogs, and emails.
I notice that most major companies allow one to make orders or appointment via the Internet. Our world has definitely shifted toward technology, that we are becoming helpless. Some people do not know what to do with out modern technology.
January 13, 2009 at 7:46 am
Kelly,
Congratulations on surviving those 24 hours! I also found that it really wasn’t as bad as I thought. I love that story about your nephew, and I think it makes a really good point that children are becoming so much more reliant on technology and the internet than ever before. While it is great to know that children will be able to make the most of technological advances, it is scary to think that they view the internet as their ONLY source of information. I always looked up movie times in the newspaper when I was younger. I’m only 21 now, but its crazy to think that to someone only 7 years younger than me, the newspaper is almost a foreign concept. My son is only 3 months old, but at the rate technology and society are progressing, he may be computer savvy before he even enters school! yikes!
January 14, 2009 at 3:45 am
I too found that it wasn’t too bad, but I will admit I didn’t like it. I do remember having to look up events in the newspaper many years ago. Kids learn much differently than we did. The internet is a wealth of information right at our finger tips. I admit that I go onto facebook and myspace and actually enjoy them. I do play around more than I should but this is my downtime when I can do something senseless and not have to think too much. My daughter who is 7 can find her way around the internet with some ease. My 8 year old daughter emails her grandparents in Wisconsin, I remember writing my grandparents letters!! It is amazing to think of the differences between my generation and my childrens.