Step away from the internet

Technology is great. It really is. And it has progressed so much over the years. This is a good thing, don’t get me wrong. But sometimes I think it has come a little too far. I recently replied to a post about data packages on phones. I don’t want internet on my phone. I want to stay away from the internet. I think we all need to spend less time on the internet.

Now I’m not anti-Facebook or anything. Actually I think it’s rather entertaining. I’m also no nature enthusiast and I’m really not all that active. But I do firmly believe that people have become too invested in Facebook and the internet in general. The internet is a good way to kill time between classes. It’s a great way to get research done. But we could all really use some time away from it.

I hate the idea of having internet on cell phones. For me it just gives people the chance to be more antisocial. I wouldn’t be opposed to it if people used it while waiting around for an appointment. But at dinner? We’re at a restaurant! Do you really need to know what song lyrics Jen put in her status? Do you really need to know about John’s plans of getting “slizzard” later this evening? These things can’t wait until after the meal?

I can see cases where having internet on your phone would be useful. For example, if you are lost and have no GPS, you can check MapQuest on your phone for directions. I can imagine that would be somewhat useful. I wouldn’t hate you for that. Also, if you’re waiting for a train or a bus, you might want to quickly recheck the schedule to see if you have time to grab some food. I’m okay with that as well.

While there are certain circumstances where I can see having internet on your phone being helpful, I still wish it was done away with. We don’t need more of a reason not to pay attention to one another. We do need to spend less time on the internet. It has made slaves of all of us. Technology is great, yes, but so is human interaction. Let’s get back to that.