This year for Lent I'm giving up surfing the web. I'm not giving up the internet entirely. It's still useful for lots of things: email, networking, news, research. I'll still check my email but I'll use my time more efficiently, reading and responding to what needs attention. I'll still check Facebok, but I'll *check* it, maybe follow a few links, make a few comments, but then close it out as soon as I've skimmed content from my news feed. I'll still check news sites but only to stay up to date with important happenings. No more wasting time on Huffington Post. And of course I'll be searching for topics related to my coursework and thesis, but then I'll get out as soon as I get what I was looking for. This blog post is a legitimate use of the internet because it's not pointlessly going from website to website for no reason other than to ward off boredom.
I might get bored; I'm sort of hoping I do. But more importantly, I'll read more books & magazines I never get read. I'll wash those dishes that won't wash themselves. I'll spend time with people who are important to me. I'll write in my journal, revise my thesis, get my term papers done on time, pet my cat, do all those things I wish I had time for, all those things I would have time for if I only took the time. Forty days feels like a long time, but maybe that's how long it'll take for it to sink in. Hopefully I'll end up more like this guy:
and less like these two:
Good luck Travis! I am not sure I could do that. Do you think you'll have trouble drawing a distinction between things you are doing online that are necessary vs mindless surfing? That would probably be hard for me. It would be easy to justify things.
ReplyDeleteHope it goes well!