In July I read THE SHALLOWS: WHAT THE INTERNET IS DOING TO OUR BRAINS. It was a month of travel, where my Internet time was drastically reduced. It was liberating not to be tied to messages that demanded response, whether truly urgent or not. I didn’t miss the constant assault of opinions and noise on my Facebook page (I do like you, friends, but sometimes it’s all pretty overwhelming). I had a chance to reflect, regroup, and breathe.
I don’t think the Internet is evil, but I do know I don’t always like the way it pulls me in. In an attempt to be intentional with my time on the Internet, I stepped back from Facebook for the month of August. I’m not over there often, but just this small departure from the norm has reminded me how easy it is to be idle, to wile away precious time. If you’ve ever felt something similar to what I’ve shared above, I encourage you to read the links below and come back tomorrow to read some quotes I found especially provocative in THE SHALLOWS.
Mitali Perkins :: Reflections on my Virtual Retreat
Writer Unboxed :: Social Media Suicide
Thanks for the links, Caroline. Good discussions and helpful perspectives…Looking forward to reading more about The Shallows.
If you pick it up, I’d love to hear what you think, Kenda.
I finally put a Hold on it at the library. I’m eager to read this!
Being intentional with our time. That’s what I’ve been thinking exactly. I’ve been using the word, “Deliberate”. I want to be more deliberate with my life and time and not get swept away . . . thank you for this.
Can’t wait to discuss this with you, friend. xo
I’ve been trying to stay away from the internet more. I’m with you–I don’t think it’s evil, but I definitely have (more than once) fallen victim to its addictive qualities.
The downside? Stepping back from the internet means stepping back from my internet friends. I’ve not been reading/commenting like I should. BUT! I wanted to tell you that I was catching up the other day and read your post about your goals as a professional writer–your decree, so to speak; and it was so, so good. I love how you made it so holistic, acknowledging how writing effects your whole life and coming up with a way to keep it under control. It really spoke to me. 🙂
Yes to all of this, Sarah.
Thank you for your kind words about my Navigating a Debut Year posts. They came out of watching others — thinking of what I wanted to emulate and what I wanted to avoid. I had to do a lot of soul searching and examine things in my own life I didn’t like.
If you want a poster, email me your mailing address!
I often take month-long breaks from the internet, from reading blogs and commenting on facebook posts, and I rarely visit Twitter anyway. Right now I’m limiting myself to reading blogs on Mondays only. My neurologist has already explained to me that it’s not just me who’s having trouble coping with normal things I used to be able to do — like remembering dates and times. It’s the way our brains are changing because of the internet. Maybe he read The Shallows!
Remembering details — that’s exactly the sort of thing the book talks about. The Internet trains us to scan and not read/think deeply. It spills into other parts of our lives.
Scanning, of course, is a valuable skill, but it’s not the only way to interact with text or to think about the world.