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Nov
17
Update on the unplugging-at-home experiment.
Filed under: Uncategorized. Tags: infoaddiction, personal.
It’s hard. Much harder than I would have guessed. I was upstairs the other night, gathering Evan’s laundry to throw in the wash. The laundry was in the hamper in the home office. The computer was just sitting there, begging me, pleading with me. Just check your email. See if someone’s commented on your blog. Check a couple of blogs. What harm could it do? Who’s gonna know? Come on…. You know you want to….
I think I know how Frodo would have felt, with The One Ring pulling at his neck, begging him to be discovered. … we hates it … tricksy! false! my…. preeeeciousssssssss….
But, I resisted. Somehow. Not sure if it’s going to get easier or harder over time. I know it’s going to be difficult tomorrow - the Learning Commons is being renovated, and our desks are all dismantled, so I’ll be attempting to work from home Friday…
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9 Responses to “Update on the unplugging-at-home experiment.”
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it was a ring of invisibility, right?
I think it was a Ring of Obsessive Compulsive Behaviour +15, but that’s just a guess, based on the effect it’s had on me so far… I might be invisible, too, though.
Personally, I don’t see why you would do this. I mean, for Frodo, it was save the world and all, but for you, not so much.
I wasn’t trying to imply that blogging was as important as saving Middle Earth or anything. Just comparing the strong pull of an external compelling device…
A true story. I don’t like sleeping over at the Girl’s.
Sure, the bed’s uncomfortable, and it’s only a double. My feet keep getting intertwined with the metal foootboard, and being metal, it’s cold, dammit.
But the real reason is… no internet.
I can’t write (I like to research and cross referenfe when I do), I can’t post, I can’t DL music. The powerbook is there, but without those airport bars, he seems imasculated. Poor Padawan.
So instead I read. Real stuff. Working through the new Giller winner.
That’s my story. My name is Teddy, and I’m an addict.
The small consolation to perhaps offer Janice is that there are a few worse things to be addicted to,
Scott - that’s so true. Pretty strong tradition of addictions in my family. Alcohol, tobacco, etc… I guess this is a pretty minor/innocuous addiction…
Some would argue that info addiction should be taken just as serioulsy… still has the same impact on the family.
The Centre for Online and Internet Addiction
(http://www.netaddiction.com/bio/reuters.htm)
Now being January I am curious to know how you finished up. My GF and I are going on a five day break starting Friday… this I think will be a challenge for me but also a good break from the computer.
We are going from one extreme to another in a sense. We will be going camping - away from where mobile phones work, no electricity and “long drop” toilets. I tend to do it from time to time during the year and find it a good break from “technology”. Now I have an addiction I am not sure how well I will cope.
i always seem to have two cents more.
good luck defining info addiction. exchanging information is otherwise known as conversation. your conversations are work-related, and your work feeds your family. would you call your career a harmful addiction? preposterous.
nevertheless, balance is key. keep the signal to noise ratio useful (healthy).