The Internet: Could you give it up?

Comments

Dec 15  |  Connie said:

Yes, I'd give up TV long before I'd give up Internet access. Like you, this weekend with the snow storm it was my link to get information and make cancelations for a variety of activities. Important activities for my family, but not important enough to make the local TV closure list.

Dec 15  |  Sejal said:

When I moved out to Portland, I didn't get the Internet (or cable) right away, just because I wanted to see how I could do without it. Within 48 hours, I found myself going to the public library to sign up for a library card just so I could use an hour of internet a day. Surprisingly enough, I barely found myself ever taking advantage of that full hour---maybe because I only used it for the bare essentials: finding the nearest Wal-Mart, printing off coupons for Bed, Bath & Beyond, checking my email and Facebook, etc. And I was super productive at unpacking and setting up my apartment because I didn't have Internet as a distraction. Since I got it at home a few weeks later, my trip to the library went from daily to monthly (just a drive-by to return books) and I finally unpacked my last cardboard box last week, after being here for almost 3 months.

Dec 15  |  Chris said:

I would have thought the figures would have been a lot more swinging (no pun intended) in the direction of choosing sex over the internet. Interesting!

Dec 15  |  Paul said:

We are (and I am) hooked on the internet - not just hooked, but dependant on it. Some time in the future, the internet will surely experience significant outages just as we have had large scale outages of older technologies in our lives. Take the electrical failure on the east coast and mid-west a few years ago. Are we prepared to handle this?

The internet has at face value improved my life. With family widely spread, I can stay in touch more easily. I can control the context of my life very easily. Banking, shopping, gifts, Skype, news. I can’t say how life would have been without it – perhaps my relationships would have been more meaningful. I worry about social issues but I also hope that the internet helps to be part of the solution towards a sustainable future.

Dec 15  |  ahmed said:

I would give up TV and dining out long before I consider giving up the internet. In a way most of the TV content that matters to me (news) is already on the internet. It is on days like today were truly get to appreciate this marvel. I am trapped at home with by bad weather but yet able to function and do my work as if I was in the office. I wonder if those who invented the internet realized how depended on it we would become

Dec 15  |  ahmed said:

I would give up TV and dining out long before I consider giving up the internet. In a way most of the TV content that matters to me (news) is already on the internet. It is on days like today were truly get to appreciate this marvel. I am trapped at home with by bad weather but yet able to function and do my work as if I was in the office. I wonder if those who invented the internet realized how depended on it we would become

Dec 15  |  Jorge said:

Interesting... but maybe the ones that would rather be w the Internet rather than their partners... should change partners!

Dec 15  |  Linda said:

I think the Internet is a wonderful tool for staying in touch with far-flung friends and family, and for finding news and information (like planning a vacation). However, I would choose other activities (exercising; reading a good book; seeing a movie (in an actual theater--not on my laptop) or enjoying dinner out with friends, over spending hours mindlessly surfing the Internet. I've seen people (including children and teens) appearing more anti-social as they become more and more addicted to being online.

Dec 15  |  mary said:

I tried to give up the internet for 2 weeks during vacation - lasted 3 days. I wanted to search where we should dive, what dive center was a safe bet, which restaurants we didn't want to miss - too much information available that would help enhance the trip!

Dec 15  |  Sharatchandra Bhargav said:

I have found myself becoming increasingly dependent on the internet in the last few years. Since my family lives across the world in India, this is an absolutely essential way of staying in touch, via email/chat/skype, purchasing phone cards etc. Not to mention the heavy reliance on it during trip planning, during the trip itself etc.

However, if faced with an absolute hard choice, I still think I would be able to survive with about an hour's access everyday to access email, as I am not that much into social networking via facebook etc. And of course, cable tv would be a ridiculously easy thing to live without. In hindsight, as someone here has mentioned, it would be much more beneficial to spend more time with one's partner/family, and go out for movies and to the gym rather than spending time online.

The moral of the story seems to be that while the internet is invaluable, we have the capacity to temper our dependence on it - we can choose to be completely dependent or fairly independent.

Dec 15  |  Josh said:

I thinks it relevant to distinguish the Internet from the content provided by the Internet. I think one of the reasons that the Internet has become such a staple of our day-to-day lives is because it is as near we have to a universal content delivery tool.

Just as a computer can be a calculator, a movie player, a word processor, etc., the Internet can provide news, movies, television programming, radio, telephone numbers, addresses, maps, directions, games, telephone service, "mail", and some of these things much more quickly than their electronic predecessors.

I'd be very interested to know what Internet content people can't do without.

Dec 15  |  Leo said:

I am totally handcuffed by the Internet. I certainly enjoy the ability to find information with a few clicks of the mouse and a few key strokes. It’s great for buying items not likely to be found locally. WOW its great for online banking and investments. It’s great for hobbies and special interests. So I would rank it high on the list of items I find to be essential for today’s living, maybe a 4-5.

However I know a number of people who think I am tech crazy.

The few people I know who don’t use the internet are not the least bit troubled by not having it (rank 0). I look at them and ask why don’t you have a computer or internet access and the reply is “Why do I need it”. Suddenly I have to stop and think---- Wow. Phil has no internet access and never has. He does not even need a twisted pair (he does have a cell phone), he doesn’t need a fire wall, no need for PC intrusion protection, No need for virus protection, No need for increased LAN speed, no need to remember a dozen passwords, what is backup, what is an Internet provider, no need to troubleshoot bugs, he has little eyestrain except when he plays golf which is all the time, no need for laptop burn insulation (for hot laptops only), no online email accounts, no need for more ram for the new software, no need to upgrade to keep up with new application, no time needed to learn the new apps, no WAN LAN WiFi, no tech support needed or waiting for tech support, no need for legal review or need to agree to any number of software legal agreements (he has a lawyer, but who ever gets a lawyer to review the agreements we sign?), no monthly bills for the online services. Phil does a lot of golfing, shopping, travel and is content without the Internet, because he has never been hooked and he is happy and content and lives a full and rewarding life.

I interrupt Phil and ask, but how do you keep in contact with your family, and he says I call them and “talk to them”. By the way his cell phone has text message service but he has no idea what it’s used for.

So to sum it up, if you are hooked you most likely can’t give it up. It’s like smoking or some other addictive drug, once started you just can’t give it up. I sometimes wonder if I could be like Phil? I don’t think so.

Dec 15  |  Mike said:

YES

Dec 15  |  Binary said:

"This confirmed what I personally believed to be true - that the Internet is essential, maybe even indispensible, especially during the current economic situation we're facing."

Conversely, it can be rightfully argued that the the Internet has, in many ways, contributed to this current financial crisis. Every slip of the markets are broadcast instantly, allowing countless people to react with their fear and anxiety of the markets. Internet-based tools are used by investors to monitor their stocks, using programs to automatically sell if the price reaches a certain point - this can cause an automated (and irrational) cascade of selling, all enabled by the Internet.

The Internet is a powerful tool that enables us to do many things - but we have to be aware of where technology can negatively impact us as well. As with all things in this world, moderation is key!

Dec 15  |  Mike Ross said:

Those that believe they cannot do without the internet and its content are either very young, or IMHO, live impoverished lives. Human relationships, face to face ones, time spent with spouse, family, friends ought reasonably to out rank internet. We already do without TV, but its level of interesting content has been on the decline for at least 15 years. The Web, and its content, which is what most people mean when they say "internet", is a relatively recent phenomenon, as are cell phones, and even cable TV. I could give up the internet with very little problem, if needed. I'd have to drive to work more often instead of telecommuting, I'd have to get my news from radio, and newspaper, as I used to, and I'd have to use my phone more for shopping, but yes, it's quite doable, and everyone did without it less than 20 years ago. To the extent that the Web and its content interferes with face to face relationships, making it more convenient to pop an email than to visit, or chat via IM rather than even making a phone call, we are the poorer for it.

Dec 15  |  Scott H said:

I depend so heavily on the internet and my internet connection to conduct my daily life that I could not give it up lightly. Definitely would give up TV service, even my cell phone first before my internet connection. THe stream of information in an instant allows my family to make quality, data driven decisions for outings, shopping, dining, weather, news, Scores, everything so that our adventures are better and life together has greter chance for success.

Dec 15  |  Arcie said:

ZOMGWTFBBQ!!! Internet better than Sex? I never thought I'd see the day!

On a much serious note, I guess the generation of people today didn't really notice that too much of anything is still bad, and Internet isn't exempted to it.

Ever read in the past about on-line gamers spending too much time they drop dead on their seat? Or how teen agers will take things too seriously on the blogs or other social media sites and commite suicide, or kill other people?

Internet is good if utilized good, otherwise, it's just another way to waste someone's time for nothing good.

Dec 15  |  Mark said:

some interesting figures that you got from the survey!! I would have not thought that the numbers would be that high. I guess that it is like the dishwasher you do not know what you would do with out it right!! (wash dishes by hand) of course. We can do with out the internet you just have to develop other interests. Things like Hunting, fishing, backpacking, gemology, faciting, softball, bird watching, target shooting, bikeriding and many other hobbies, and activities. I can go with out the cable and the internet even the dishwasher, these things are just conveant; what happens when they are not available and you have to fend for your self? You will have nothing to do cause you have no other interests in life!! If we look back at how technology has played a roll in our lifes I think you could trace technology back to having caused more financial problems in the last 12 years than all the natural desasters in the history of the United States which is just a little over 225 years. In fact you may be able to include the world with the 225 years, and my not cover all the costs that technology has cost the U.S. and the world in the last 12 years. I do think technology has a place but I beleave that most people do not understand the ramifications of technology that is miss used. Case in point the current state of the econemy (the bail out). moderation is key that is for sure!! As for me yes I have cable, internet, dishwasher have no cell phone and if I did I would only use it to make calls cause I can not stand looking at a little screen to read e-mails or surf the net, and that includes texting, another waste of time put the number on speed dial and talk to the person!! Get a hobby and leave the internet alone, the sky will not fall if you do not surf the net for more than a day!!!! In a word YES I could give up the internet!!

Dec 15  |  Dean said:

One thing that I'd like to point out about the survey that is over looked is that it was conducted online. So the people responding to the survey are the ones most likely to view the internet most favorably. I would suspect that if you conducted the survey in the mall or over the phone you would have drastically different numbers.

Dec 15  |  Larry Donahue said:

I was one of the people effected by the ice storm here in the Northeast this past Thursday/Friday that made our neighborhood look like Narnia until I woke up this morning. We were without power from the local utility company until early Sunday. We have a generator, so in reality, we had electricity. However, our cable was out!!!

It wasn't the television that we missed the most; we've got tons of DVDs to fill our video void. Rather, it was having no Internet that effected out day-to-day living.

I couldn't work on Friday as I could not VPN into Intel and could not use my home office VoIP line (nor could I really use my cell phone as I'm guessing the ice build-up on the local base station antennas cause catastrophic attenuation).

I couldn't do any Christmas shopping on-line.

I couldn't Google the random question about Jimmy Stewart or Donna Reed that came to mind as we watched "It's a Wonderful Life" on DVD.

I couldn't check personal email for updates on whether or not my kids' had their basketball games and practices.

I couldn't get news on-line as I so often do and was left with only the compulsory 3 minutes of news provided by radio stations to keep their FCC licenses.

I couldn't post my status as "Larry is enjoying his generator." on Facebook.

I have gone without the Internet during vacations and the like, but I got a surprising view this past weekend into exactly how integral Internet access has become to day to day living.

Dec 15  |  Vered said:

I'm 37. I've lived without the internet. Of course I could give it up, but only if the rest of the world gave it up too, because otherwise I would be left behind.

While information was not as accessible prior to the internet, the slower pace of life more than compensated for that.

Dec 15  |  Joel said:

@linda: I agree. I look for a balance between internet for reserach and entertainment (facebook, etc.) and real life with my wife and family. with 2 teenage daughters, I am equally concerned about their [in]ability at social contact. this is something that both my wife and i agree on, that is, that the girls need both sets of skills to thrive. they need to know how to intercat online and in real life. with respect to the other questions posed in the survey, I love my wife more than I will love any URL.

Dec 15  |  Kari Aakre said:

Wow! Great comments and a lot of points that I hadn't considered, as well as some I've also experienced.

@Dean: You brought up the methodology of the survey -- that it was conducted online, which is true. Here is some additional information about the methodology that Harris Interactive uses:

"All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words “margin of error” as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among the Harris Poll Online (HPOL) database, which includes several million people who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to be invited to participate in the Harris Interactive online research panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated."

One of the reasons we did this survey was to get more info on how important the Internet is to people, but we also did it to spur conversation about the Internet, too. And I'm happy to see that happening here and elsewhere around the Web.

But like many of you, I agree that the Internet can be used for both good and bad. My hope is that all of the good its doing (for example, operating as an educational tool for children and people around the world, giving people in emerging markets an opportunity to start their own businesses and connect with other entreprenuers around the world, etc.) outweighs the bad.

Dec 16  |  Lon Schiffbauer said:

It’s not so much a question of whether I could give up the Internet (afterall, we didn't have it growing up--remember?) but whether I could give up all of the services and products that the Internet now provides almost exclusively. In the past providers had a broader marketing mix that they would use to deliver their wares. Today many have shifted almost exclusively to the Internet. I’m not a high-tech dude; I have no cell phone and could give up the TV in a heartbeat. (I keep it for the wife and kids who would run me out on a rail if I tried to remove it.) But it would be very hard for me to give up the Internet—not because of what it is but because of what it delivers. I’m working on another college degree from an online university. Without the Internet I’d be out of luck. My family has moved completely away from snail-mail and now relies exclusively on e-mail. Without the Internet family connection would degrade. The list goes on.

Dec 16  |  Larry Donahue said:

I whole heartedly agree with the comments from Linda and Joel. I've seen far too many teens and tweens who cannot communicate effectively due to their reliance on texting, email, Facebook, and the like. My wife and I strive to keep our family fully involved in "real" life. The real kicker for me this weekend in the wake of the ice storm was that I was unable to go out and enjoy the woods out back of my house this last week of archery season because I didn't want to catch one of the ice covered limbs (that were constantly dropping from the tree tops) on the noggin.

Dec 16  |  patrick macaw said:

Well how interesting. People would rather stare into a box than have sex or live life. If you think your world will end without the internet you are wrong. There is so much to do instead of having this addiction to tech. When most of these folks get confronted with lifes little problems and have to deal with it personly what then. If you "google" something and can't get the answer do you just give up. Many skills that get you ahead in this world are not related to a computer or cell phone. Ever try to climb a mountain/build furniture/skydive/waterski/have a conversation, etc starring mesmerized into a box. People that addicted to the internet/tech. seem to lack a bunch of real life skills and imho are easy prey. Keep being a slave to tech and watch how much you miss out on including making money and enjoying some wild fun.I work on the net daily and have a bevy of tech toys but can't wait to get out of town and cell range/internet sevice. Nothing like real life to make you feel alive instead of consulting with the electronic god for answers to the most pathetic and rediculus questions. Go ahead, take a chance and leave the house without the internet deciding every little unimportant aspect of your day. Maybe you might enjoy it and even go a step further and decide on a lunch venue without texting 9 friends for a vote.

Dec 16  |  Cami said:

Internet is the comfortable/easy-lazy way to access information. Why go through the trouble of buying newspapers or wait for the news on TV when you have it on the internet anytime, any day you desire? And these are just some examples. The questions is: Are people willing to give up the comfy way of getting things done? I, personally, will never give up having things done effortless. Anyone else?

Dec 16  |  Sasanka Sekhar Chanda said:

I will strike a discordant note, stating that this fascination with Internet is a passing hype for a miniscule proportion of the planet's inhabitants. A majority still aspires to have 2 meals a day , clean drinking water, a roof overhead at least during inclement weather. Internet is a toy for everyone we know, same way as mobile phones, designer watches etc. I doubt whether Internet deepened or broadened the natural curiosity of humans in a way to contribute to advancement of information. Earlier 'search' mechanisms had more involvement and commitment [viz. looking up a concept on the dictionary, asking an information service about weather, detailed discussion with a sales agent comparing features of a product] . Now 'some quality' of information is available on the Internet- but, major decisions viz. buying a car or a house still need the older 'less efficient' [!} methods.

Dec 17  |  prasun said:

I am in the same exact boat as Sejal above but I finally got a DSL connection afer a month of no Internet at home.

Dec 17  |  scott said:

Patrick's comments about how people would rather stare into a box than live life misses the whole point. The internet augments life. It allows connections with people I've learned a lot from who I never would have been able to connect with in the same way. It allows inexpensive contact with family members who are geographically distant. It allows easier research into products purchased, or choices like schools, local classes for our daughter, and much more.

It's not about giving up living. It's about being intelligent enough to make use of new tools that make doing certain things not only easier, but able to be done with more information on hand to aid in decisions.

Your view of life is as limited as those who actually never do get outdoors, but I suspect there's a lot less of them than you think. And of those, most of those are due to working long hours anyway, something that has made for "non-exploratory" lifestyles long before the prevalence of the internet.

Dec 17  |  Eric said:

Internet. You should have seen my 19 year old sister in law when her phone was taken away for just 6 hours. You'd have thought that you had cut out an eye and one hand. Screaming does not begin to describe what happened.

Dec 17  |  CulCase said:

Best thing about Internet is that it allows skipping both morning AND evening (real) traffic. work from home fellows. save the planet.

Dec 22  |  Bjarke Larsen said:

I am one of those people that use webservices for just about everything ... My work is creating web content and my free time is also largely spent online. To me it is interesting to remember that just 10 years ago people were in fact just 'sitting looking intoa box' when they were passively watching brain numbing tv. It was broadcasted one way mass communication. The internet on the other hand is all about involvement, participation and it is very much personalised ... Not two people do the exact same things online. I agree that we can survive w/o web ... Just like we could survive without a refrigerator or water in the tap. People have before. But just as the convenience of having water coming out of a tap instead of having to go get it at the city well, the convenience of having access to just about all information and people in the world beats going to the news stand, the library, calling 15 stores to compare prices and so on. Could we survive without it? Yes.

Dec 28  |  MbSmith said:

The Internet is the great leveler. After food clothing, and shelter, Internet access is critical. Governments and individuals now live in an age where, "the whole world is watching." We will never know how many potential atrocities were forestalled or mitigated by cell-phone pictures posted on the Web.
Closer to home, and at work, the Internet helped me plan my response to the recent "arctic blast." The Internet has become my poetic voice and muse such that I can't imagine life without it now.
MbSmith

Feb 23  |  Sex Dating said:

I foresee a time when there will be a rehabilitation center for those addicted to the internet. I myself spend four times as much on the internet as I do interacting with people in person., This I know can not be healthy, Betty Ford here I come

Oct 27  |  Doug the Mugg said:

I've been a very heavy web user for thirteen years and have been considering giving it up lately. I have researched all of my interests and then some. About the only thing I really need the web for is to buy shoes online. I have an odd size that is not available locally. So for me, I may sell my gear and just use the library now and then for mail order items or downloading a service manual now and then. The news has become so much propaganda that it's not worth the time. I've fallen back in love with the common "book" and long walks in the woods. Parting is such sweet sorrow. Adio's Amigos!

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