has anyone considered unplugging?

[gbpxl]

I have. There are a few reasons that the internet is essential for my day to day life- the main one being my online banking. I get direct deposit and so it's easier to just check my balance every day than to have to call in to the automated system and punch in all my information every time.

the other major reason is that its a social outlet when I'm not at work. as I said in the other thread I made, I don't have too many "real life" friends, so people I know that live a way's away kind of help me with my social need- facebook is great for that but their spying on private messages and general invasiveness is making me want to unplug more and more each day

and of course, as a collector, my collection would not exist if it weren't for eBay. I have never seen any of the items that I own in game stores, pawn shops, etc. I can't even find a *decent* 8 or 16 bit game at my local game store, there's a few of them but they are very expensive.

besides that there's an alternative for most of what I use the internet for. I wouldn't mind using the library, and I'd probably get cable TV if I completely disconnected- which i don't see happening unless I had a live-in girlfriend to keep me entertained and I stopped being a game collector. I would read the newspaper a lot more too.

thoughts?

[techwizard]

almost in the same boat, i have a new years resolution to drop video games for at least a few months so i can catch up on some much needed reading. i'll probably be cutting back on computer time but not entirely dropping it.

[gbpxl]

almost in the same boat, i have a new years resolution to drop video games for at least a few months so i can catch up on some much needed reading. i'll probably be cutting back on computer time but not entirely dropping it.

it's very hard and many companies now expect EVERYONE to have an e-mail address. it bothers me that so much of my information is online (because I put it there LOL) and I think it's impossible to disappear at this point.

I don't like that if someone takes a picture of me or if I'm near someone getting their picture taken, there's essentially a 100% chance that it's going to end up either on Facebook or Instagram LOL

[techwizard]

ah well i'm not quite that bothered by it, i have no problem using the internet, i'm just feeling a bit burnt out on gaming and computers and need some offline time.

[gbpxl]

ah well i'm not quite that bothered by it, i have no problem using the internet, i'm just feeling a bit burnt out on gaming and computers and need some offline time.

same here. it's nice to leave the phone at home and go outside on a nice day and just enjoy the trees, the lake, the stars, all that good stuff. man I miss summer now LOL

[Zagnorch]

The internet has become the go-to place for almost all of my entertainment needs for the last few years, as well as providing the main venue for selling my wares and paying my credit card bills. So needless to  say, it's a pretty vital resource that I need access to. Fortunately, I live near several establishments with complimentary/low-cost wi-fi if I need access in a pinch. Since the internet is my main entertainment venue, I've no need for cable TV... or TV of any kind for that matter. I haven't watched it on a regular basis since the turn of the millennium. I'm also planning to drop my home ("land-line") phone number, and just use my cell.

As for putting aside gaming/collecting for a while: I'm making an effort to do that, as I could use some of that time to really organize things around the house. I should really get to it before my collecting thing becomes a hoarding thing.

[techwizard]

As for putting aside gaming/collecting for a while

myself, i'm just putting aside the gaming aspect because that takes up most of my time. i only go out on the hunt rarely, at most once per paycheck, and it doesn't take too long for me to clean/test/add to lists and shelf all the things that i pick up. i still want to finish my N64 collection and improve on some other areas but i won't be playing them for a while.

[zcrich01]

The internet has become the go-to place for almost all of my entertainment needs for the last few years, as well as providing the main venue for selling my wares and paying my credit card bills. So needless to  say, it's a pretty vital resource that I need access to. Fortunately, I live near several establishments with complimentary/low-cost wi-fi if I need access in a pinch. Since the internet is my main entertainment venue, I've no need for cable TV... or TV of any kind for that matter. I haven't watched it on a regular basis since the turn of the millennium. I'm also planning to drop my home ("land-line") phone number, and just use my cell.

As for putting aside gaming/collecting for a while: I'm making an effort to do that, as I could use some of that time to really organize things around the house. I should really get to it before my collecting thing becomes a hoarding thing.

You still have a landline? Geez Norch. You're old.