Don't Panic!
You can indeed survive in this crazy, tech-filled world without the internet or social media. A classmate of mine recently posted a blog about things we can do to break away from the social media "chains that bind." I highly suggest that you head on over to Katie's blog and check out "Cutting the Cord." This well-written piece is quick and concise and features some background information on the topic, tips for disconnecting, and a little bit on taking control of our time online.My Take
Social media and e-mail can be habit-forming. In fact, many of us develop online routines that we go through everyday without really ever giving it any thought. I can attest that this is very true for me. The first thing I do every morning is check my AOL mail, see what's happening on Facebook, read my BSU e-mail, and, very often, check in on my Ebay auctions (but that's a whole other problem altogether).
In her blog, Katie list instant gratification as a reason many people love social media. This is also true for me. When I post on Facebook, I do so because I want almost immediate results. There are even times I find myself checking back every few minutes for updates. I honestly believe that I sometimes do it just because it's there and I can. Whenever I am away from my computer for a day or so, I usually don't have too much of a withdrawal. In fact, I sometimes find my time without social media more relaxing. Because, let's be honest, the internet is not only a gateway to communication and connection with friends and family but also a gateway to all their problems and drama. The one downside I find to staying offline too long is that I alway seem to come back to over 100 e-mails or so after being away for only a weekend. So, you may ask, could I ever do without social media altogether? Well, the answer is quite simple.
No.
So, how about you all? Social media - Good? Bad? Could you ever disconnect?
Even though I wrote about it, I'll be the first to admit that I can't disconnect! As soon as I get up in the mornings, I check my e-mail and Facebook, and then I continue to do it throughout the day- almost as if it's programmed into me! One thing I will say that I didn't mention in my post is that sometimes, I use the internet as a way to "disconnect" from the real world. If I'm taking a break between reading or writing something, I'll most often browse blogs. It find it relaxing, oddly enough!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could disconnect either. I have made it part of my routine to check my social networking sites as soon as I wake up in the morning. There have been times I have gone a day or so without checking, I didn't have withdraws or anything, but I was aware that I wasn't online and that I wasn't checking anything. This is part of my life now, it would be really hard to take it out.
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