Have you tried to go "offline"?

Have you tried to reduce your internet presence? Taken yourself off fb? twitter? ILX? Stopped posting here, there, everywhere and succeeded (even temporarily)? I've been trying and completely failing. I can't even stop commenting on local news websites. And I really, really want to. Anyone got any strategies for this?

(I know this sounds pretty pathetic - I'm a grown man for god's sake why can't I just stop?)

sb'd you

in all srsness, I quit Facebook the other week and am missing it not a jot, yall should join me in the darkzone. Twitter can stay tho.

sort of wish i could cut down but not that much

have quit ilx for significant periods in the past, but don't find fbook a big burden

when i drove my gparents to florida earlier this year i knew there would probably be internet at the place where they were staying but told everyone i would be 'offline'. checked fbook and ilx once or twice but mostly managed to stay away, and it felt quite good.

I did a 30-day test of no internet whatsoever last month. I was amazed at all the free time I seemed to have — I actually had to think of things to do to fill it up.

I tried a "no internet friday" for maybe two weeks but it was a bit difficult since everyone in my social circle makes plans and arrangements via FB and email.

I would suggest having children, but obv that didn't work ey? I have taken myself off FB. I have nothing against it, but for me it had a black hole effect: I would be on that thing all the time (on my iphone, easy). So I got off FB but also Twitter (mainly because I didnt *get* the appeal). I was also off ILX but more because I felt a bit of an outsider (yeah begging for attention lololol).

I don't know, why should you go offline? Is there a reason why? Do you feel it hampers your life?

I am not sure if I am online too much but, honestly, I don't question it anymore.

everyone in my social circle makes plans and arrangements via FB and email.

STAB STAB STAB

use the phone for god's sake

although email i ok i guess

Text messages add up. FB is free.

I don't know, why should you go offline? Is there a reason why? Do you feel it hampers your life?

I just don't think it's doing me any good. I can feel my anxiety levels rising whenever I'm online but I've got to the point where I feel them rising when I'm not online and if I see a computer just lying around doing nothing my urge is to pick it up and go online. That can't be right, can it? I kind of feel a wuss going to see a therapist about internet addiction (I'm not sure I know what the definition of that would be and if I go searching for it...)

Self imposed no Internet after 7:30 PM rule, allows me to be more ~present~ at home

My work sometimes places me in parts of the world with limited or no internet. I didn't find it that hard the first time, but that was before I had a blog and a facebook profile. I kind of dread it now, even though I see the value in limited internet time. I dunno, maybe buy a few novels you've wanting to read, and force yourself outdoors more?

even being away for 24 hours is a great feeling imo

when i drove my gparents to florida earlier this year i knew there would probably be internet at the place where they were staying but told everyone i would be 'offline'. checked fbook and ilx once or twice but mostly managed to stay away, and it felt quite good.

i did this when i went home for a fortnight over christmas, and i managed to read probably 20x more than i normally would. so ya i would probably benefit from more self-imposed absences.

ususally spend a week or two in france each year where there's no internet, and once the itching to check things stop I love it. Come back to find I've usually missed nothing, except maybe some ~drama~. Then get sucked straight back in.

editing your hosts file to block ilx is fairly simply easy; having the willpower to not edit it back... not so much

fairly simply

I often fantasize about having no Internet at home. I like to imagine I would read more and be more creatively productive, but who knows. Thinking about instituting something like a No-Internet Sunday. (Though I guess that also prevents me from doing things like looking up recipes or watching movies.)

i had no internet at home recently and did totally read a lot more books, but then also was to be found late at hanging the iPad out the window to get signal like some drama junkie

I spend less time online as it gets nicer outdoors. I also cannot remember the last time I've had an internet blackout since switching to cable, I used to savor dial-up downtime.

I know this sounds pretty pathetic - I'm a grown man for god's sake why can't I just stop?

Not pathetic. Quite human.

When a temptation presents itself on a constant basis, then one's will must be exercised just as constantly, and will just isn't that constant a force. It is a smart strategy to place the temptation at a greater distance, so that several steps are required to overcome that distance, rather than one short step. This is especially helpful for minor temptations like the internet. Powerful hungers and urges require much stronger remedies.