How much time do you spend in the internet?

[Old Nick]

Following on from Nichola's thread, I just wondered how much time the average adult spends on forums, facebook, etc. etc. during a normal week.  I have recently moved into my sister's annex (just retired) and she has kindly let me use her laptop and her broadband link.  Prior to this, I was rarely on the internet, apart from when I was in the office working.

I have been watching my usage go up and up in a very short time and am getting concerned about how easily these little visits to check emails, facebooks, forums, take over your free time and your life.

So how about it, who else is becoming/is addicted and how much time do you spend/waste in a week?

[echogirl1]

Totally addicted I am afraid, get up, make cup of tea, log on, check e-mails, check forum, check weather forecast, check on-line diary, pay a few bills etc.  10.30 am after walking dog, log on, check e-mails, check forum, check facebook, play a silly game for 30 mins.  3.30 get home, log on check e-mails, check forum, reply to some messages, make a cup of tea, then play silly game for 30 mins. 6.30 log on, check e-mails, check facebook, check diary, look on forum.  Where I find time to do housework, washing, shopping etc. I'll never know!!!

[karaokemark]

I get up 7 ish open my laptop plug in and leave it open till bedtime, spend at least 4 hours a day reading forums, blogs, facebook newspapers etc. talking on skype.

[Marggie]

Too much!!!!

[Scunner]

Not enough!!!

[Old Nick]

So Scunner, are you saying that you would like more time to talk to people you may have not met on this forum and on facebook, etc. and would rather spend time with them than with your family and REAL friends.  I have had some very strange invitations to be friends with people I have never met and don't particularly want to since I have "come out".  I find it very strange, that people I dont know would think I would like to spend the time seeing how they live, their photos, their likes and dislikes and yet there are thousands of people living alone and would give anything to have a real friend.

Also. and I am going to sound a right snob here, some of the rubbish I have witnessed on some of the sites leaves me to wonder what on earth is living out there!

I am just trying to make myself feel better about the additional amount of time I spend on the computer and am worried that it is getting slightly out of hand.  I must exercise more restraint. 

[Scunner]

So Scunner, are you saying that you would like more time to talk to people you may have not met on this forum and on facebook, etc. and would rather spend time with them than with your family and REAL friends. 

Quite the opposite to that actually Old Nick - I refuse to have people in my "friend list" who I don't know in what has become known as 'real life'. Having done this admin lark for over 10 years, 5 of which full time living in Calis, I've met a huge number of members - some are great friends and some I know but not so well - but I do know them. A few (and it is a handful) I know because of CBF over the years and have not met, but speak to regularly, have done for years and we have many mutual friends.

I let my kids join Facebook because it is hard to know what to do for the best - all their friends are on it and you don't want them to be the outsiders at school - but the only rule is that I will ask at random times who someone in their friend list is, and if they can't explain how they know them in real life, they're off t'internet for a week. Or longer.

I agree that using social media to expand your circle of friends/associates is not for me. It is for some, a surprising number of marriages are people who met online. Up to the individual I guess and good luck to those people. The first Worldwide real social media program I recall was ICQ, I suddenly was friends with Sergei in Moscow and Brad in New Zealand, it was great! And then soon after, it wasn't

I don't want to be online more for social reasons, I have a head full of ideas and things to research, and the job doesn't allow me the time to do all that.

[Old Nick]

Respect to you Scunner, you are obviously much much more experienced than I am. I just find some of the postings I have seen, very few here it must be said, but elsewhere are just mind blowing in their idiocy!  Still i always have the off button!   

[JohnF]

I have a head full of ideas and things to research, and the job doesn't allow me the time to do all that.

Oh good  

JF

[Scunner]

Actually, I need to talk to you

Excellent value set menu Italian may be on the cards...