Now that we are all part of the digital life, how do we cope when we are confronted by a No Entry sign to the super information highway? I've been meandering along the trunk roads of life while my internet connection has been down, and I have to tell you I have never felt more discombobulated. It was as though I was sleepwalking, or banished to a neverland. Yes, I could check emails on my iPhone, but no matter how groovy a gadget it is, it is no substitute for a proper Mac and broadband connection. Now that I am speeding along the motorway once more, all is right with my world.
It got me to thinking: have we become addicted to the web? Work aside, how much time do we spend sat in front of our screens?
Because I work from home, my Mac is always on. Even when I'm doing other things in the house I find myself frequently strolling over to my desk to check emails, then sitting down for half an hour or more to check out a few websites. I feel connected, part of the world. Not having this facility for weeks removed that sense of ease. Now I have a connection once more, I can't drag myself away from the screen. I'm going to give myself a few days to get used to being back in the land of the living, and then I am going to start logging how and when I use the net.
Because, guess what? Life went on just fine without being connected. It was definitely less immediate, but I could still find out train times and other pieces of vital information, and I was still able keep in touch with friends and family (oh, yes, the phone! That's what we used before email!). And without the web to amuse me, I actually found time to potter about in the garden, or go for walks, or even get down to my novel (that last bit's a lie).
Even now, when I should be working on two articles, I'm connecting to the web instead. Am I beyond help?
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