It is getting hard to live without the internet, my cell phone, or a DVR

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I have become so spoiled by all of this passive immediate entertainment. I can’t even stand normal TV anymore, the commercials, not being able to fast forward, not being able to watch the show exactly when you want. I’m not on the internet all day, every day, but there a re a lot of days where I am on the computer all day. Overall, the internet is a good thing, I am not complaining about that. I just feel like, the few times I’ve had no cell service or internet service for 24 or 48 hours, it was like… very very bad.

I am thinking, once I get to feeling better (am slightly depressed) that once every 3 months I will take a “digital vacation” just so I can learn how to occupy my time and entertain myself the way we did before the internet and digital entertainment came along…

In the 90’s I had no TV, no cell phone and no internet and I was perfectly happy…

2

Word. I believe that everybody should take a vacation from electronic distractions at least once a year, and preferably more often than that.

3

I know what you mean. Before I had a computer, I’d work out every weekday morning before work. If I didn’t spend all of my time online or watching movies, I’d probably focus on My One True Love and devote all of my time to flying. Or My Other True Love, and do more filmmaking.

I am not addicted to my mobile phone, though. I almost never use it. I doubt I’d use it that much more if it were a smart phone.

But a computer and the Internet sure makes it easy to telecommute. And by ‘easy’, I mean ‘possible at all’.

4

:eek:

What was all your furniture pointed at!?!?!?

5

This

6

Not for me yet although I can see the day. I still will go days to a couple weeks without internet and be perfectly happy. The only part of long breaks I hate is cleaning out my mailbox afterwards.

7

Missed the window. Cell phones I barely use so no biggie there. Last time I turned mine on was maybe 45 days ago? Its basically for emergencies with one of the vehicles or travel. I always warn people that if you leave a message on my cell phone, I WILL NOT GET IT! Call the house and tell the machine there. DVR? I barely used VHS so that one doesn’t really count for me either.

8

I don’t see the value in getting used to living without these devices. They’re here, they’re part of life now. If something happens that disables all such devices someday, then having lived without them occasionally while everyone else still had them will do zero things to prepare you for that apocalyptic scenario.

9

DVR - I have never had one.

cell phone - I could easily live without it. I consider it to be mostly a toy.

internet - Most of my reading is done on the internet. And most of my research is through the internet. It certainly makes life more enjoyable for me, and my work more productive, but I don’t consider it a necessity.

10

Agreed. They’re not going anywhere. Just like people lamented their dependence on the telephone and how it detracted from the art of writing letters, etc…it didn’t matter a bit. Internet and mobile connectivity is as much a part of life as electricity. The thing that does worry me is that I’m not entirely convinced of the durability and future accessibility of our media and content…I suppose that “cloud” is supposed to help out with that, but there is a certain permanence to printed books and LP recordings and other analog media that could be lost down the road…just think 8 tracks, cassettes and VHS

11

Very well placed quote

I agree as well. If your dependence on a machine takes away from your enjoyment of doing other non-machine related things…then that’s on you to balance it

Planning a 3 week “electronics free-cation” is no better a solution than managing your digital v analog intake of information, or output of information

12

As a couple of above posters said, this “constantly connected” world of smart phones, tablets, laptops, et cetera connected to Wi-Fi, Ethernet, satellite, cell data connections, et cetera is simply the way the world is today. As with the telephone, radio, television, and fixed-internet before it, the best thing to do is realize the world has changed–for the better, in this case–and embrace it.

I sure have. I have an HTC Evo 4G LTE smart phone on Sprint with an unlimited talk/text/data plan, home internet, and a medium-high-end laptop (gamer here, so it’s a requirement). I’m currently in the market for a tablet, too. I ride that cell data, too–it’s great being able to pass time while waiting for the bus by watching YouTube videos, streaming live TV/radio, and such. I am always online on Facebook, Steam, Skype, Yahoo, and several other networks.

Unlike the OP, though, I am not to the point of being bothered by regular TV. I have a small flat-screen in my space with rabbit ears on it that I use to watch stuff like the local news, Divorce Court, The Price is Right, etc. I am also going to be purchasing a portable digital TV soon for local broadcast reception on the go (the need to keep up with the weather coverage here like a hawk–especially in the spring, summer, and early autumn–is simply icing on the cake).

I don’t care how many people call me an “internet addict”. I’m simply enjoying the hell out of the information age. Modern info tech is amazing–why not jump right in? :slight_smile:

13

Update:

I am not/was not saying technology is bad. Simpy that as a personal failing I have allowed technology to make me lazy and passive.

14

I hear ya. I don’t know what I did before The Internet. Read books, watched TV (channel surfed, not just specific shows like I do now), went places and hung out with friends I guess. I remember cleaning the house more often too. Now I’m just like “Eh, fuckit” and go online.

15

yeah, i did a lot more hanging out with people then

16

We don’t have a DVR. My husband would like one, but honestly, there’s not that much we watch on TV any more. Apart from Netflix, we watch lots of the old series being rerun on the various ancient TV channels.

Last year, we finally got rid of our land line and we both have flip phones. I never had and never wanted a smart phone, husband gave up his smart phone when he quit working. He’s retained his cell number, and my cell is our old land line number. Mostly, I look at the caller ID and ignore the call.

The internet, however, is an integral part of our lives now. Apart from communication and social networking, we do a lot of research on line, whether for something we want to buy or something we wonder about. It’s nice, at my leisure, to look up info about places we’d like to vacation without having to deal with a travel agent who wants to be making money, not wasting time with my idle dreaming. Plus virtually all of our bills are handled electronically - I’d miss the instant gratification of looking up our bank accounts or monitoring our electricity usage. I could survive without it, but I’d be cranky.

:smiley:

17

I downgraded to a stupid phone from a smart phone after losing my smart phone. The only thing I miss is looking up bus timetables. I don’t miss constantly being stimulated by Twitter etc. I work all day using a computer so I try to take breaks, put away my laptop and read or just listen to music like I used to, instead of having ten things going at once, all the time.