Living Offline

I watched a show the other day about people who are addicted to the internet, and specifically social media. These people could spend 12 to 16 hours on the internet each day. I feel bad for the addiction these people have, but at the same time it makes me feel a little better about my own internet usage. Believe me when I say I know how it feels to get sucked into the hole of endless clicking. In fact, I think most people these days can relate to that. But I am proud of the fact that I make an effort not to let the internet suck me in for hours. And that's what it takes - effort. These days it is so easy to get lost in the virtual world and forget about the real world that is all around you. Sure, the real world can be harsh at times. But it can also be amazing, and you can miss out on that if you are stuck watching funny videos of cats or wishing a happy birthday to someone on Facebook who you were friends with 10 years ago.

While there is a lot to be learned from the internet, I am a firm believer that getting out and experiencing things is the way to go. I'm not sure what it is, but there is something to be said about being present in a moment and experiencing it firsthand with all of your senses. That goes for taking pictures and recording videos as well. It's great to have pictures as mementos, but you loose something when you are constantly behind the lens taking pictures of every moment. You are not truly experiencing the moment, and you end up with millions of pictures that don't mean much to you because all you were thinking about at the moment was getting a good shot.

I suppose it is slightly hypocritical of me to talk about getting out and experiencing things when I am a homebody who prefers curling up with a book or a movie to most other outside activities. But I realize the importance of not getting lost inside myself, and I make an effort to "get out there". I'm not saying I am better than anyone else. I just have my views on what is important and I try to live accordingly. I wish all the best for those internet addicts. I hope they realize what they are missing out on and can find a way to make a change.