The Internet Was Made For Losers (I Need To Get Out)

It is over. At midnight I signed back on to Facebook. I am done. I do not really care.

On Christmas Day, I was enjoying my bike ride up 1st ave. in Manhattan and decided I want to take a year off the internet. Not a year off of Facebook or away from AIM, but a year away from any net connected to another net. No webs. No tubes.

I will plan it out of course, but I am serious about it. This will make some things painfully difficult: airline tickets, getting directions, learning stuff, googling, porn, talking to friends who are too far away to talk to in person, pretending I have a life, making my life seem interesting to people who do not see me, and paying my credit card bills. Stuff like that will be annoying, but so is the rest of the internet. The waste of space and time and energy.

Many think that the internet is something that just exists, but in reality, downloading a movie is a lump of coal. Yes, one lump of coal is equivalent to a gigabyte of memory.

I am not saying the internet is useless and bad, but I am just ready for a break. I have lived online for the last decade and more. I need a break. Not right now, but in the near future. This week without Facebook at first left me thinking I was missing something, but when I sign back on I see there was nothing happening. Now you are reading this and realizing I am not saying anything, so um have a good day?

No Internet Week: Day 7

Sunday, November 25, 2007
Last Day Without Internet...

The week without a computer has come crawling to an end. There have been many times when I wished I could do something real quick on the computer. Download a CD, check out places to go, check prices for things and then save money buying them online (my plane ticket back to California).

The Internet has become a necessity in our world or at least it has become a huge convenience. Fast information, cheap prices, and all while you sit around wearing nothing (I have clothes on while typing this, I cannot promise this at all times). Half the things on my to-do list can be done within minutes on a computer, which could take twice as long in real life (not including time for transportation). Sometimes the Internets* (happy Chin?) just make sense.

I realize I have an addiction to the Internet, but it is weak (ha). I am only addicted while I am using. I get stuck behind the computer. It is not the computer that sucks me in, but the lack of other things to do. I have realized this before and it has been my downfall while living in New York. I wish to play piano and drums. I want to take up skateboarding and surfing. I would like to go swimming everyday or at least a few times a week. I have bikes, books, stuff to write, and a video camera, although if I filmed anything I cannot edit it. I don't have a good excuse as to why I don't write more often. Well, there is a writer strike going on... and I should stop writing in solidarity (I am showing solidarity by striking from work or in being unemployed, whatever you want to call it).

Since taking a week off of the Internet, I decided it would be fun to keep doing weekly challenges. Some can be fun and others can be helpful. Some may push me forward and some will make me regress. That is part of the fun. I was not even sure if I would come out of this week sane, but I did. I think.

OK blah blah blah, in my writing this is where I realized I would do a challenge every week and blogging it... The next challenge will start when this ends.

I shall stop drinking alcohol for a week. This idea has been in my head all week, because the main thing that helped me stay away from the computer at night was getting drunk. I did spend a night or two reading a book, but then I finished it and alcohol took up the slack.

I would like to write more, however I am going to take a break and enjoy the last of my no Internet week by getting drunk with friends. Bring on Alcohol Free Week!

Oh I wish it was a FREE alcohol week...



*THERE ARE RUMORS ON THE INTERNETS! George W. got something right.

No Internet Week: Day 5

Black Friday, November 23, 2007

This is day five without the "Internet." I have used the Internet and I definitely have watched TV. My streak away from my computer lasted until I woke up on day one (I lasted about 9 hours, which coincidentally is the amount of time I was asleep).

I went to find the number for the unemployment office (this should explain this blog) and they had cleared my original claim, that was not finished. Filing for unemployment was the number one thing on my to-do list, and my to-do list was a major reason for turning off the computer. I wanted to get this done, so I turned on my computer and restarted my claim. I finished my claim, shut down my computer, and walked away.

On Tuesday, day two, I paid a bill online for my apartments energy. I also transferred money from different bank accounts so I would not overdraft. 36 hours into not using a computer and I have failed, not once, but three times (although I vaguely made it so that these uses would be exempted).

For those of you who are thinking that these uses are acceptable, I have a confession to make. Before I tell you what I have done, I want to state, I feel a little guilty as to breaking the rules. I also feel like it made me fight harder inside to battle the urge to use the computer for mindless activities.

Anyway, here it goes, I have this thing called an iPhone (are you done with your side comments? I am making a confession here, if you want the explanation on why I have an iPhone ask me another time). So yeah, I have an iPhone, I opened it up... and I clicked on the mail button. I know I wrote that I could do stuff on the computer or Internet with "time restraints," but this is inexcusable. I had one e-mail that I responded to. It was not completely necessary. I wrote back to one of my kickball team captains to say, I was coming to the game that night. Now this seems like a one time isolated event, but I pushed that mail button the rest of the week. Every time I opened it there was some new email about something that happened on facebook or myspace. When I did not follow through and see what had been posted on those sites I felt good for my rule breaking. I felt I had the power to see I was missing things on the Internet, but could control myself not to see what it was.

Moving on, I actually became quite productive throughout the week. Not having a computer standing by has made me just simply start things and finish them. No more procrastinating until the last minute (or if there is no last minute, not doing anything at all). Well, stating I was quite productive is a lie, but not procrastinating is true (except the bathroom would probably not be what it is today*). I have not done more work, I just did it sooner. I run out of things that I need to do and am left with "free" time. This weekend may pass slowly without things to do, but hopefully I will get creative and fill in the mindless Internet surfing time (with drinking, wooooooo!).



*Go to the average male college house and look at the bathroom. That was my bathroom. Six months without cleaning the shower or sink. The toilet bowl was slightly cleaned with the toilet brush and some chemicals, but some how the tank was disgusting. The bathroom after I quit the Internet was spotless (in male bathroom terms). I wish I took before and after pictures.

No Internet Week: Day 1

The Challenge
No use of a computer(the Internet) for 7 days.

Monday, November 19th, 2007

At 4:30 AM, I turned off my computer (It should have been 12 AM, but I could not stop the beast). I had decided to not use it for one week.

This is a bad idea and will not work. I wish I could say I will not use the Internet or television as well, but I will. My only exception for using the Interne is for e-mail to get stuff done (stuff with time restraints). I will try to keep track of these to keep myself in check.