Read a story about someone living more or less a year without internet or smartphone.
They reported better sleep, better concentration and happier mood amongst others. They read 56 books in that year. They did not want to go back to internet on account of it beeing more beneficial to not have it.
Inspiring story to me. I use the net for 2-3 hours daily, but I wouldn’t mind if it was less.
Ofcourse the downside of no internet is that you have to go to a remote location like a library to do necessary affairs. I’m not quite there, but I think I will work on cutting back everything not necessary. This forum is a necessity, but then again if I didn’t use it I would probably start going to the mental health club which might be better, meeting people and beings social IRL. I know not everyone has acsess to a mental health club, but something to think about.
I would probably use this forum to a extent still though.
I try to read daily, if only a couple of pages.
I’ve contemplated leaving social media for good, but many friends /acquaintances would freak out if I disappeared like that. And I don’t have the guts to do it anyway.
I’m not miserable as long as I don’t consume too much negative news.
I need the internet to Google things every day. I also like to read some things on the forum and watch YouTube videos every day. I have Hulu + Live TV that I watch every day and I need the internet for that. I can’t live without the internet.
I don’t think I could live without it now that I know what it’s like. Actually when my internet went down all I did was sit my chair and wait for it to come back. Like, what else can you do?
I made seven new IRL friend this past month online and we go out and do IRL things, mainly paddle boarding. The Net is a great way to find things to do that are not on the Net. Weird, I know.
The guy in question doesen’t have his age stated, but looks to be 30ish. Anyways, it looks like a trend in Norway that younger people want a taste of life without internet. There have been several stories in the news lately.
@magz well I guess if we don’t have it we are forced to do something new, like read books, go out more etc. Linear TV is still there though, and playing games on non internet consoles.
I can see how it seems scary to not have it though. It seems like a difficult thing, but I think it’s mostly a addiction, and a idea that we must have it to survive. But we don’t really need the internet for that much. Not having it alltogether is extreme though. It’s better to just try as a experiment to avoid it for a fixed time, if anyone is curious about what will happen.
Yeah, excellent point. I guess ultimately if you use the internet in a sensible way that is accustomed to your needs and keeping health in mind it won’t be a problem.
Unfortunately many people are struggling to have good internet habits. They get addicted into usound ways of using it. This is a tricky addiction because like for example drugs and alcohol you can’t just remove the internet from your home…well you can, but then other aspects of life become unpractical.
I am trying to cut down social media and doom scrolling by deleting the apps I can do without. If I want them I can go to the website instead, the app versions just make it so much easier to waste an hour scrolling mindlessly. The internet makes so many things so much more convenient and is a good force but I am trying to limit the damage the bad ways it affects me. I’ve found I can do without Reddit (I’ve never had Insta or X), and all the streaming services except dipping into BBC and Freevee sometimes. Even the seasons I enjoyed I found myself wondering what did I get from investing 10 hours in that? I could not come up an answer other than the nice warm feeling you get from snuggling down and consuming. I’m trying to read the books I have had on my shelfs for years meaning to read but it is not easy. So much easier to scroll!
I’ve made it three days on two separate occasions. My more original thinking came back, the environment and people around me were more stimulating, and I wasn’t as anxious. at one point I just sat outside smoking a cigarette watching a storm come it. It was super stimulating. It’s astonishing how numb I am to the world from overstimulation. Literally just three days no screens. I used my phone for calls only.
jk