I have to say that I’m torn with regard to my relationship with the internet. As far as my own perception of my self-identity, I feel like I am indifferent to it and have no attachment to it at all. In reality, this relationship may be something more. I’m not sure it was the day of abstinence itself necessarily that has me reconsidering my internet usage, and for that matter, the internet. I think it has more to do with the reading and the assignment as a prompt to take a deeper look—to look from the outside in maybe.
As I alluded to above, my day of abstinence wasn’t such a difficult thing. However, I somewhat purposefully planned which day I would remain abstinent. Saturday was my first half-marathon and it started at 8:00 am. I had to be to Sunriver by no later than 7:30, so that meant that I had to be up at 5:30 and leave no later than 7:00. It was not difficult to stay away from the computer that morning. We didn’t leave Sunriver until almost noon, and didn’t make it home until nearly 2:00 pm, at which time I took a much-needed nap. So, up until 4:00 I had no real reason, nor the time, to get on the internet. That is until I realized that I could get the results of the race online. I was extremely curious. I also have two other classes, one of which is online, and I needed to post to discussion boards and get assignment details. The anxiousness only lasted a little while though. I realized that I was too tired to be productive anyway. It could wait until tomorrow.
Saturday was only one day though, and a busy one at that. Other days, I would say that I’m on the internet at for at least two hours (whether I need to be or not). I find myself in a routine of checking email and facebook immediately after making coffee in the morning. This may lead to clicking a link to something or at least searching for something that I’m curious about. There went an hour. I spend a lot of time in front of the computer anyway, as my classes require a lot of writing. The internet is certainly useful in doing research for writing but it is also a distraction from it. In other words, it is too easy to let my mind wander and go drifting through the internet when I get tired of researching and writing.
Realizing that the internet can facilitate the wasting of time is one thing. Attempting to objectively grasp its impacts on society, culture, and communication is another. As I mentioned earlier, this week’s readings demand a less superficial confrontation of what the internet “means.” Wood and Smith reinforced some of my preexisting apprehensions of CMC in that it is not the same as face-to-face. I seem to have difficulty understanding others, as well as being understood, when communicating with others via email or facebook. By the way, I don’t text. I don’t have a phone with a keyboard and I wouldn’t text even if I did—it’s ridiculous (that should bait a response). Anyway, I think my lack of success has to do with my age, where I’m from, and my previous career. I didn’t start using the internet until I was in my early twenties and I didn’t have email until my mid-twenties. I’m from the rural Midwest where handshakes and eye-contact are everything. And, as a contractor, 99 % of my communication was either face-to-face or in person believe it or not.
Postman though, really expands on some questions I’ve been asking for a while. I find it interesting, and, a bit scary, that what we perceive as “knowledge” is so far from the skills required to meet our basic needs. One could argue that we’ve thought our way past “basic” needs and are on to bigger and “better” things. I’m not convinced. I’m also finding some truth in Thamus’ idea that technology’s function follows its form. (7)
