I will only use the internet for e-mail starting on June 17 and ending Dec. 31, 2012. 11 months ago

Well, as I think I’ve stated before, I have much less time to use the internet being in school full time again (4 days a week like a full work day and then an hour commute each way, and I don’t bring my laptop because it’s not a good area). But whenever I am home, or free on campus, my first inclination is to get online. And it’s very hard to overcome this urge. To be fair, there is not much to do on campus. I’ve been wanting to go to the gym and I do have reading to do, but I don’t have friends and the clubs I’ve wanted to join don’t meet during my free hours. And we all know how hard it is to work up the motivation to go to the gym or do homework. Also, there really is no quiet place to read because social groups tend to take over every study lounge/library and the school refuses to enforce quiet policies. So it’s just so easy to let the WWW entertain me.

However, maybe I should compromise. My free time in the morning can be devoted to exercise, then for the rest of the school day I can go online. But when I get home, I have to read for a few hours. I think that’s what I’ll try to do. If I make specific rules for myself, I’ll usually follow them.

Then again, it would be way better if I just did everything offline. Like, commit my friends’ phone numbers to memory and call them if I want to talk (if any of them will even accept that as a form of communication!)... I should print out school papers, but I’d feel bad for the waste so I think instead I might try one of those “productivity” programs that blocks out unwanted programs when you’re working. Okay, the bottom line is I have options and I’m thinking about them! 20 months ago

From studying psychology I’ve learned that negatives don’t work. You can’t say “DON’T go on the internet.” You have to say something like, “Spend more time on real life.” So that’s what I should be working on.

My other goals are helping me with that. First of all, the school semester is starting so I’ll be spending at least 15 waking hours a week not on the internet. But also, I’ve been making a list of events I hear about that I want to go to. There’s a vegan meetup group near me, so I want to go to a lot of their events. I also want to check out the freegan movement (I’m very curious since I’m broke and I hate capitalism), like foraging and dumpster diving tours… I also want to go to more concerts. And I guess when I have nothing planned I can always spend time at the library, or check out a new place like hiking trails, nonprofits I can volunteer with, and maybe the places my tuition is funding (like the university gym, the career center, etc.)

This is what would be ideal. I don’t know if I’m actually going to do it, but I’m going to try. 20 months ago

So I follow this website called Good.is (It’s the website of a design magazine, and I’m not a designer, but I like their personality/opinions.) And they started doing one challenge every month, and for August, the challenge is “unplug after 8.” It’s not like it sounds, though, it’s just about not using the internet after 8 pm (cell phones, computers, etc.) Well, I did it on the first night and then forgot about it until last night. But let me tell you, it helped me!

It was actually easier than I thought once I committed myself (I find that with a lot of things actually). I didn’t get anything done or anything… but I went to bed early! Maybe tonight I will get something done since I won’t be as tired.

This is a hard goal because, as long as I have no money to have a life, the internet is the only exciting thing to do (trust me, there is a lot of excitement to be found). And if I HAD a life, like some friends and some hobbies outside the house, I know I would barely be on the internet. But eh, it’ll be different once school starts. Also, there are quite a few things in the house that I could be doing with my time that are more productive. My room is begging to be cleaned (and I got a dust mask so no excuses). I’d love to improve at guitar, and there are several books I’ve been dying to read/finish. In fact, I also have a working telephone that I can use to communicate with people without typing anything at all! So if I stick to this 8 pm thing for a while, I might extend it to other hours as well. 21 months ago

This is my number one goal. My excessive internet use has caused me to waste thousands of hours of my life, create greater anxiety, have less of a social life, and aids my severe ADHD. I know I can do this, its all just a mental challenge. I got an internet timer now so its a good start. 21 months ago

My problem is, I love using the internet/computer for everything. I make tons of lists online, I use web apps (no smart phone luckily!) for things I could easily do on my own, and when I think about how I can achieve a goal, it always involves the internet. If I want to promote a cause, I think of making a website for it. If I want to share my music with people, I think of posting a video on YouTube. If I have to study for an exam or find a piece of information, I automatically search online.

None of these things are bad in themselves. They are very useful, but they have led to an overdependence. It wouldn’t kill me to make some of my lists in a notebook or even on a whiteboard, or write a first draft of a story or computer program outside of the computer. It could be good for me to crack open a book to research a topic once in a while. And if I want to share something with others, maybe I should go out into the real world at least some of the time—sing at an open mic night, hand out flyers, host an event at my school or another public place.

So when I say I want to get rid of my internet addiction, this is mostly the part of it. A long time ago, I bought a binder with the intention of replacing at least some computer tasks with it. I am going to make this my first task. 22 months ago

This is a start for me as I tend to spend every waking minute on the internet. This is only a first step and I hope to use the internet for less than an hour a day, or maybe even less if possible.

Today, I spent 2 or 3 hours reading (Eating Animals by Jonathan Saffron Foer), an hour eating and talking to my sister, and another 3 or 4 hours at my grandma’s house eating and talking to my family; I didn’t even bring my laptop with me!

I also napped for 2 hours, which probably doesn’t count but it still eliminated some daytime internet hours! (I barely ever nap)

Tomorrow I would like to spend a good chunk of the day cleaning my room. I have also decided that some of the things I use the computer for (listening to music, writing) I can start doing without the computer. This way I won’t be tempted to surf the internet intermittently. Tomorrow I will start this.

EDIT: Also, I am going to stop worrying about who has messaged or emailed me, and challenge myself only to check twice a day (when I wake up and when eating dinner). I don’t want to check right before bed because if someone sends a rude message I will be up all night worrying. 23 months ago

I have a severe addiction to the internet! Right now I can’t find a job and can’t afford a car, and I am waiting to get more money from my school in September so I can do something. I am stuck spending all my time at home, and I feel like there is nothing to do but go on the internet all day! I use social networking, 43 Things, read articles, go on forums…

There. I have admitted I have a problem.

I am going to list some things I enjoy doing (or should do) that do not require the internet: play guitar; cook a healthy meal; listen to music; exercise; watch TV/movie or play video games (better than the internet); read a book or scholarly journal (I’m a nerd); invite a friend over; talk on the phone or write a letter to a friend; draw; sculpt; clean my room/the house; play piano; write a story; take a nap; plan out a home business (not online); make some crafts; take a walk around the block; and work on some goals on here that don’t require the internet! Well I think that’s a pretty good start.

It’s gotten pretty bad, so I’m going to start with the small goal of doing one or more of these things for at least two (waking) hours each day. 23 months ago