After 20 years online, I'm finally limiting my time on the internet to post-5PM

I’m sure it will make all the difference for you. Congratulations.

Good but even better, exercise between 5 and 6 and start your Internet after 6.

[quote]internet

Oh dear!

I tend to lift weights in the evening r2 (now that I can't go to the gym). I enjoy watching true crime shows while I work out

I’ve considered this too. Please return with an update. I view art, read, and learn a lot of historical trivia online though. Sometimes I think it can be considered productive?

so you don't have a smartphone, yet you claim to have a job? Something doesn't add up. I've seen homeless crackheads with smartphones.

Me too, r5. But I have found it impossible to draw the line ... if I am online, I eventually succumb to mindless scrolling sooner rather than later.

I have a ton of non-fiction books that I'm using to fill the void ... I hope!

I'm an academic r6.

Thus, being offline is easier now that it's summer.

And I have never owned a smartphone.

a lot of the old millennial demographic doesn't have smartphones ,for various reasons

I've tried this OP but after a few months I get sucked back in. I hope and pray you make it out.

the last book I read was the Bostonians, and every few paragraphs my shattered mind would start casting about for distractions and it's not even one of his particularly complex novels...I can feel myself slowly dumbening day by day

oh I meant : "the Bostonians--MARY!"

r9 I have so many long novels on my "want to read" list, r9, including several VERY long Chinese novels (basically, the "four classics" and some others, like The Scholars and Plum in the Golden Vase). It often feels impossible with how my mind is now conditioned.

I've read some James but never The Bostonians - do you recommend?

Well, SMELL you, OP!

I was told that cutting out screen time an hour before bed will help you sleep better. I can't seem to tear myself away, though.

I am not sure if you had any data that you based that on, but I used to be sad when my iPhone would tell me every Sunday what my weekly screen time was. I always average 6-7 hours per day. Then I looked into what goes into that and listening to podcasts, watching videos, etc. is all included.

[quote] I don't have a smartphone

So do you use an iPad for your Grindr account?

This would be easy if I never had a smartphone. The iPhone is what really amped up my internet addiction to unimaginable levels. There was no problem staying away from it when it required me to sit at a desk in front of a computer. Walking around with the internet in my pocket however is a whole different thing.

OP, I recommend Proust.

R11 --it's a strange little book, it's actually a fast read, but I'd way recommend the Golden Bowl, which I think is his finest, the Ambassadors and even Wings of the Dove, in that order, before the Bostonians. it hasn't aged all that well. depth of characterization is not at the level of his later books. chunks of it are James trashing spiritualism/seances in 19thc Boston but not really in a fun way

R13 lately I find myself lying in the dark with my phone, reading about serial killers and which muppet is coming out as autistic

[quote]The iPhone is what really amped up my internet addiction to unimaginable levels.

Interesting. Unless it concerns directions to or reviews of something I'm about to see, eat, or purchase, I can't stand accessing the internet on my phone. Yesterday I was trying to access different refrigerators at Lowe's website, and only being able to look at one at a time on the screen was maddening. I had to stop.

I feel the same way, R20. I don't understand why anyone would stare at a tiny screen at home when they have a laptop or iPad available. When you're out and about, it's different, but at home, why not use the larger screen?

I can easily be online on my phone for two hours after waking up, it's disgusting. First news, then DL, then some new dicks from reddit. It takes forever especially if I start writing comments. I'm not the fastest writer in the first place and on a phone a paragraph this short can sometimes take 5 minutes to write with all the editing.

My eyes hate me if I'm online too much on a phone.

R22, I'll ask you - why don't you use a computer? The pictures on Reddit would be bigger and clearer and you'd have a proper keyboard to type on. I'm not criticizing; you should use whatever you works best for you. I'm just puzzled as to why people who have a choice (that is, people at home, not on the go) would squint at dick pics and try to type a comment on a phone instead of using a laptop or tablet.

How do you function without a smartphone? Don't you need one for work? Several years ago, I resisted getting a smartphone for as long as I could, but then it just became impossible. But maybe you don't have a job that requires one. A smartphone also makes life easier. I don't find it a burden. Your desktop or laptop can be burdensome and complicated because that's where the real work happens, but a smartphone is a great convenience. In my opinion anyway.

You'll miss the daytime pron the most.

R23, it's mostly because the phone is there. I definitely do most of my browsing either on my 27" pc display or on a huge flat screen TV so it's not like I want to only use small screens ;)

I rarely go online when going to bed, it's really the mornings when that happens, partly because I just love lazying around in bed after waking up, and I tend to play with my dick and all the browsing usually leads to that. I use my phone also while watching TV since all my laptops are currently broken, besides the ancient iBook but it's so old the browsers don't support any of the new websites.

[R18], please tell me what about "The Golden Bowl" you liked. And as much detail as possible, thank you.

I did read it. And I will refrain from any comment until/if you reply.

the good news is that I CANT use my smart phone as my computer, I cant see anything, the formatting is so odd and i cant type well, so I use it just for calls and basic "grunt" texts, although my sister and some friends want entire lengthy convos. by text. Not happening. So I just use my laptop but rarely "whip it out" in public unless lengthy times at airport or something like that it.

Is texting on flip phones still as difficult as it used to be?

R29 yes, but I was told you cant even buy flip phones anymore, just androids.

I agree, but what I've found works better is to limit internet time in the evening and do more enjoyable things (read a book, watch a movie, do general house things, exercise, no night time internet helps me sleep better too).

I work from home and am unfortunately a late riser but I find the occasions when I get up relatively early I'm more in the mood for work straight away. I have to use the internet for work, but if I can get myself in a work mood in the morning, I tend not to waste too much time online.

Switching off, now!

Thanks, r30. What is a "just android"?

Twat Maybe

OP here ... I'm actually finding the allure of the internet is subsiding. It's becoming clearer that all the I waste online is, well, wasted.

But I still love my DL bitches!!

Pussy

Suuuuuure you’re 36

Why is that so hard to believe r36?

I’m 27, having the same problem.

I think it’s because I’ve been bored and unstimulated most of my life, and my curious hyperactive mind uses the Internet as an escape to more bearable conditions. I’m aware it’s not healthy and I’m losing touch myself because of it, but if I stop I fear I will lash out at the people around me (the ones I’m sadly stuck with who bore and constrain me). It’s a tough one, especially in these times when we can’t easily go out and socialise to distract our minds.

Good on the OP for setting hard limits. What do you find is most effective for enforcing them? I am the worst at sticking to rules set for myself.

Bump

I’ve tried and failed many times. I have no problem avoiding streaming services, but when it comes to news and such I have a major FOMO, despite the fact that it brings me down most of the time.

WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS nailed this.

I'm the complete opposite of you, OP. I find the internet has actually been very beneficial to my life and I use it on a daily basis. I've been using it for the last seven years so I can't imagine going without it now, it's become an essential part of my life. I've learned so much from it more than I ever knew before. My only issue is with social media, it's addictive and only brings out the worst of human trash. I try to avoid it as much as I can.

My second-hand 6S iPhone now has an oil spill behind the screen (massage oil, don’t ask), meaning the backlight is slot darkening and turning blue. It’s probably the best excuse i get to ditch it, and ditch it I should given how addicted I am to browsing and chatting online.

I’m wanting to go back to a ‘dumbphone’ but I have no idea of a secure place to buy ones that still work (I.e., can still be charged and that have call/text capabilities), or how to download/transfer everything on my Cloud to another device. Can anyone help?

I seriously need to limit my time on the Internet. Since the pandemic, I haven spending way too much time on my computer.

What are people’s daily numbers? Mine: around 5 hrs.

not even sure what to say about a person who is "limiting their time online" but doesn't have a smartphone.

I was in my mid-20's when I bought my first laptop back in the late 90's. And basically, I've wasted half my adult life on the internet. At the very least. I've tried everything but nothing takes. I usually end up back on the daily routine of being online 4-10 hours. It's a wonder I've managed to be employed. Sometimes I wish I was a park ranger or some other job than being a laptop warrior. I work for a tech company in a non tech role and even prior to Covid, I worked from home. All terrible for someone who wants to get off the internet.

My phone isn't really a problem because when I'm out, I'm not one of those people who is constantly on their phone. For me, the problem is the laptop and being at home.

R46 oh my God, I’m clocking in at roughly seven or eight hours, the longest session being at nighttime (10-1 or 2AM) because there are noisy sleepers in my house and I am naturally a night owl.

I keep a variety of books and a music player with headphones by my bed which forces me to change it up sometimes, just reading a novel or listening to an album instead every couple of days. I also try to leave my phone downstairs or let the charge run out during the day when I remember, too. I have deleted many apps and turned my screen grayscale to remove temptation.

Ultimately though I get too easily dragged back in by the light box; my DOCs are Spotify & Soundcloud (for obscure music, and special interest podcasts, and erotic audio), Youtube (for old movies, vintage sports matches, filmed stage productions, yoga instruction, and music videos), Reddit subs (though given who owns the site now I have cut back in visits there), various indie blogs (for obscure music bootleg downloads or reviews), Fragrantica (I’m a fragrance geek), and Sky (for checking the soccer updates, and interviews). I also use GoogleBook previews, to my endless shame.

And it’s not just internet. I collect pictures on my devices and write screeds in the notes app, as well. I’m addicted to compiling and receiving new info as a way of being constantly interested, and fear the uncomfortable irritating state of boredom (not healthy).

Has anyone successfully detoxed and broken free? If so please share your method.

I got off Twitter and that helped a lot. I spent soooo much time on there.

I thought frequenting NoSurf reddit page and "learning" more about internet addiction would help...It just turned me onto Reddit...

R47 tell us how many AOL Free 100 Hours discs have you burned through in your life to date, then?

R51, Earthlink, not AOL. I also lived outside of the US in the late 90's. I was amused by the ubiquity of AOL jokes when I returned. Who would have thought they would pretty disappear?

I've been online since 1992. I finally just got tired of the internet, really. This is the only forum I go to anymore, I only have a Twitter (well, I have an Instagram but I never use it), and the only games I have on my smartphone are brain teaser types or crosswords.

But I'm on the internet constantly because it's where I watch my movies, TV shows, and read my books, as well as where I keep my recipes and pay my bills and do most of my shopping and ordering. My bf and I text each other a lot, appointment times and stuff like that. We listen to Spotify constantly.

I like OP’s attempt to limit internet use. I’d like to try that but would likely do Internet only before 5–so I can keep my surfing during work hours

I don't limit myself to a certain amount of time online. I just limit my exposure to websites and comments that serve no purpose other than to keep me upset.

y2k Internet was like another world.

Count me in as another person who limits their internet activity on a phone, only because a tablet or laptop is so much more satisfying.

I too want to reduce my internet time, but there's fuck all to do with the lockdowns again. I can go grocery shopping, eat at a restaurant outside, or go for a walk/ride my bike. That's it.

But I need to do something - since nothing is going on, the only news topics are COVID, Trump and BLM. That's a depressing trio.

R57, that's why I miss old-fashioned newspapers. If you read the NYT, WaPo or LAT back in the day, you'll remember that, once you got past the big stories on the front page, the news and metro sections were full of weird little stories to occupy your mind. And the NYT, in particular, was chock full of news from abroad. Volcano in Indonesia? Revolution in Lesotho? Election in Peru? They covered it. There was always something to read that was diverting from whatever the big concerns of the day were. I miss that.

(I also miss having the opinion pieces in the opinion section, not on the "front page" and news stories that just told the facts, but that's another story.)

OP, you don't have a smartphone? Wow, just about everybody has a smartphone, even 80 year old geezers. Doesn't sound like you're cut out for the internet anyway.

OP reporting back! And to the doubters: I am 36 (will be 37 next month) and I have truly never owned a smartphone. Not sure why it's impossible to believe. I have two friends, both in their early-mid 30s, who have also never owned a smartphone.

Anyway: I admit, some days I've been able to stay offline until the evening but others I have not. Over the years It's become such an effective way to quell my anxiety and boredom and that's a hard security blanket to give up. However, I find that reading a book for more than an hour in one sitting has the same sedating/numbing effect, only I don't feel like I've wasted time afterward.

Okay, my trolldar should have gone off at r59. On the "Georgia Governor To BLOCK Face Mask Mandate" thread she replied with:

[quote]What is the problem? Anyone who wants to wear a face mask, can still do so.

OP, how successful are you in various areas of your life?

Are there skills you want to learn that you don't feel like you have time to learn? Are you happy with your level of education, cultural immersion, general knowledge? What's your highest level of education attained? Are you progressing in your job at the pace you'd like? Do you exercise regularly? Do you have hobbies, and sufficient time for them? Do you have time to meet friends/partners?

If you have more or less accomplished or are accomplishing what you want in these areas, maybe don't beat yourself up about the internet usage too much. Everyone needs downtime, and previous generations used TV, or just drinking for 8 hours straight. On the other hand if you really want to learn Spanish (say) and haven't got the time, maybe start making the time.

I have a doctorate and am (usually) happy with my accomplishments, r62. That said, I am always haunted by the short duration of human life and all those other things I could be doing when I'm online. (I'd say those other things mostly involve reading and studying languages.)

I do see your point, though, and I probably shouldn't beat myself up so much.

I do get what you mean and also feel guilt about internet usage and not reading enough. I am increasingly realising it is counterproductive, and in fact, when compared to most people my accomplishments are fine - sounds like yours are too.

I don't really like reading 'light' books, I like reading books that challenge me intellectually (am Dr here too). This means that those books aren't appropriate for 'downtime'. When I want to read something light, I read online news articles, or go on sites like this. So I couldn't spend all the time I spend online reading philosophy or literary fiction. I have a stressful job and need time off.

As someone who also likes studying languages, I'd say that your best way to make that happen is to learn with someone else. As a lockdown project I've been learning Portuguese for 2 hours a day, at the price of only 70 euros a week, online with a school in Lisbon. I only started in April and now I'm already upper intermediate level and am reading a short Jose Saramago story in the language. It's very easy when you make yourself do regular classes, and the internet makes that much easier to arrange than it used to be. By contrast I've never gotten very far trying to learn a language completely by myself.