When I first read this assignment I didn’t think that it was going to be that difficult. I don’t see myself as a person who uses the internet excessively. I do have a MySpace account as well as a facebook account. However, I check these causally once a day, maybe more if I’m bored. It seems that when I have a lot of idol time (which I never seem to have) I tend to check these sites more often. I hardly ever just surf the web without actually having something in mind for what I am looking for. It’s funny, I can’t even remember what I did on the web as a child prior to MySpace and Facebook!
However, before I get into too much detail about my experience with my intended internet abstinence; I would like to say that I didn’t make it through the whole day without using the internet. I had to sign on to log onto blackboard. I have other online classes that had assignments due and mandatory study hall every night.
Nevertheless, I did not check MySpace or Facebook. I did take a little effort to not log on to these sites. Not that I am compulsive about checking, but it seems to be a habit just to log on and check my mail in our locker room before practice. My days an extremely structured and I go online everyday When I did log back into those sites I had many new messages as well as comments. I use these sites to keep in touch with old teammates, classmates, as well as family members that I don’t have the time to talk on the phone with. I guess not signing on did effect my communication, because I didn’t talk to some people that reside outside of Corvallis because, I did not get their messages. But as usual the messages didn’t include any important information or questions that couldn’t have been easily discussed another day.
Not using the internet didn’t really effect my communication too bad because like I said, the messages I get online are not urgent. Everyone that knows me that if you need to contact me, text is always the best bet because I always have my phone on me, unless I am at basketball practice or lifting weights. It was weird not to have the aim on my sidekick signed on, but after a few hours I complexly forgot about it.
I did notice that since I limited my time online I spent more time talking with people within my household and focused on things at home. I don’t have much free time so when I log into these sites I’m usually on for five to ten minutes max. It was really hard to think about what I spent my idol time doing.
I think going a day without the internet would have been a lot easier if it was not during the school year. During school I tend to check blackboard and my email frequently for emails for professors and my coaches. I have classes that requires me to check my email frequently. The best way to contact many people such as professors and our athletic advisors is by email. I believe that I would have made it the 24 hours period without any problems if it was for instance, summer or any other time when school or a job did not require me to check my email for any reason.
