Is it time to think outside the inbox?

U are right ,, we do get addicted to this new life,,,,,,, I wonder how many people get the REAL fun out of it?,One thing is for sure that many of learn about the world we live in, through the net attachment,,and we all know how IMPORTANT time is,even I see fat deposited in the wrong places

I actually multitask quite well on it I spen quite a bit of time on here yes but I also still take time out for the real world I live alone and I am disabled so not able to work any more I am also divorced but in a relationship, so my time gets split between here and my real world I don't just socialize on here I make Graphics Layouts and I design and make Cards so it is not just surfing the Net I do

This is one of the most relevant discussions I have seen in a while. I do think often about the amount of time I spend on the internet. Is all the time I spend necessary? Could anything I do on the internet be achieved in another way? POrobably yes. There are two sides to this situation. Emails: Keeping in contact with family and friends who live some distance away is much easier via emails. We, in Australia, live vast distances apart. Emails have made keeping in contact much easier. There is no way Im going to write and post a letter to family who live 200kms away. Phone calls are expensive too. I was interuppted, so can I finsh my response tommorrow?

Hey Zandi, i do spend alot of time on my computer mostly mylot. I don't go to many sites. I don't let it stand in my way of doing what needs to be done aroud here [most of the time, lol]As i'm sure u have read where i don't get out much because i don't feel well most of the time so mylot is an awful lot of company to me.

Hey zandi! I am not worried! My "real" friends keep me aprised of what is happening in my "other" life whether I want them to or not!lol My phone is constantly ringing while I am trying to mylot or my boyfriend is walking into my kitchen/office asking me when dinner will be ready! So it's not like I can ever really forget that I have other things and people to deal with! Although, sometimes I really do wish they would all go away! I still go out, do what I need to do, run my errands, meet up with my friends, have lunch and dinners out sometimes and I still have time to mylot! So, actually I still can have a perfectly well balanced life! No problems or complaints here! There are days that I don't do much of anything and spend more time here than others! But, all in all I get what I need to do done and that's all that matters!

Hi Zandi! I agree with you that even though we can communicate through emails, chat or text it is still better to interact with your family, friends and loved ones in person. For me, I only surf the net when I don't have anything to do. It's just my past time. What I like about our technology today is you get to constantly communicate with people who are very important to you but very distant physically. Like if that person is in another country. The good thing also about our communication technology today is you get to plan with your friends your get together, events, gatherings, etc. via text, email and group chat. It's also a great way to get in touch with people you have not seen for a long time like old friends and classmates to invite them to Alumni Homecoming or Reunion.

I spend a bit of time working on the computer, then there is MyLot and Gather, but I do not do the other things at this time. I am considering facebook, but only considering. I had foot surgery and have been on recovery for a while. I can work now, and I did work all day yesterday--like fifteen hours counting my travel time. I quit my job so that I can gain my real life back. I do go for drives with my husband and coffees and lunches with friends. It is really nice to be seeing real people once again, and not work related people at that. My friends I e mail are also friends that I will call or see in person. I know that we need to be really connected.

I get up real early so I can get all emails done but if they dont get done and I have other things to do I go do them and come back to putr hwhen I can like most weekends we keep pretty busy and now have grand daughter in T-ball and that takes our time going to practice and so fun watching 5 year olds learn to pl;ay

I do agree with you zandi and is why I haven't joined too many sites like a lot of people have. I don't want to sit at the computer all day long, I do have a life to live and things to do. It's not that I don't want to talk to my friends and what not, but being my parents both aren't all that well and having a home of my own and 15 furry friends to care for as well as a husband, I have to divide my time in a wise way so that means, I won't be able to keep up with mylot like I did because I may be on here today but I might not be tomorrow or the next day because I've got things to get done. I can't give you a time of how much I'm on here, it varies from day to day and week to week. I'm on here when I can be on here but my friends understand that and that's all that matters.

I agree.. technology can make or break.. depending on how one divides their time, really. I use a few minutes each time on Facebook and Twitter.. interchangeably and they do not really take much of my time. I think it all boils down to time management whilst on the net. I however need to reserve a bit of time for surfing, which I consider to be my learning journey, lol. That's when I read news and etc on the net.. and not forgetting a bit of mylotting time. If I can reserve at least 1-2 hours per day, that should be enough for me.

hi zandi458 oh you mean the middle age spread? I spend a way too much time on mylot but again I have no one to hurt but my adult son who is in his own apt with three other guys and they are all out looking for jobs. I have a roomie but shes in the hospital right now. So am not hurting anyone but maybe myself. my friend nelda keeps me connected to the real world that I have left for this stupid retirement center that's a lot like cyber world in that everything is done for you, sounds good but just think You cannot cook your own meals, you have no say so over what you eat, someone else washes your clothes, cleans your room and bathroom,does out your medications.so what is so much fun about all that? nothing really. people come here to live, i only came as i had no home when we got evicted from our apartment when my son lost his job. so mylotting is still a heck of a lot better than sitting around downstairs watching the boob tube and dozing.yuck.

I’ve seen “fats deposited in the wrong places” too when I last looked in a full length mirror (LOL) so I understand precisely what you mean! I spend a lot of time on the computer while my daughter is at school and my husband is at work and at the weekends I set limits so that I am not glued to the machine and ignoring the ones I love. Having said that I probably still spend too much time here but I really enjoy it, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it! (LOL)

Hi zandi I do admit I spend 2 to 3 hours on the net every day and some days more as I do surveys as well, but mostly I balance my life betwin family and friends quite well and I manage to do some gardening at least once a week and make sure to go out, to a club or restaurant once a fortnight and I also like to entertain at home every now and then, I read every day [ mostly at night]and watch some TV every day and also do my cross word!besides other chores around the house. I love our new technology to me is great! [I was born in 1945] so I enjoy every minute of it! but I have so much around me outside the cyberworld that I do not want to miss so I make a point to enjoy both worlds! and it works.

I agree with you, it is so easy to get addicted to the screens in our lives these days. Some days here in our house, we have me on my computer, my wife on hers, my daughter on our laptop and my son playing computer games on the TV. At times I have noticed this getting out of hand and then we have say, that's it, no screens today, we are going out! We do not let our kids on screens during the week, so come the weekend, they like to spend all day on them. Whenever we go away somewhere as a family for a weekend and we do not go near any screens, we feel so much better and there is so much more time to do the things that really mean a lot to us, but then we get back home and get back into the screen routine again. I do enjoy being on the computer though and it is hard to stay away as we run an online business. Finding a balance is the key.

Hi zandi. So far, it's mylot that I am so attached with the internet. With friends and relatives who are far from me, as they are literally far from me, I do not have too much expectations that they will call, send emails or text. We all know that we have important works to do, with our families, and we used to that. And even before I have hooked too closed to the cyberworld, we used to be that way, we're used to be like that. Communications although changes when there are situations that are so important that shouldn't be missed by one member of the family. When I got my own netbook and was able to get my own broadband connection, I came up with a discussion which says, "In hope to earn more". Being out of mylot for almost or over a month, after a series of check-up of our son's health problem, I really decided to get more hooked with the internet, in hope to earn more. To get more extra cash for his medication. Medication will be for at least six months and until that time, we will only know what to be the next medical procedure, which we hope not to be an operation. And so I asked, "do you have balanced time with family and work, which being attached to the internet as one?" And asked suggestions on how to earn some more online. http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/2237874.aspx Multitask? Well zandi, I still find time when Lotting at home, spare time for some household chores. Sometimes, while doing the Lot, I cook. And even before I got the netbook, I used to do Lotting from my mobile phone, and can still cook while online. These days that we are in medication, I am also tasked by my own self (maybe, being the father) to take a look at him and make sure he takes his meds on time. Have his steam inhalator ready before he falls asleep or when he's already sleep. And even if I get so much time in front of the computers, in the office and at home, I'll make sure I give some time for honey, during bedtime. I'll spare some strength for that special moments with her. I don't want that, I want my real life back. - you really mean this?

After being 5 days off of mylot I am finding it hard to put as much into it as I did before. Guess it's just like any other habit, you have to take control.

I guess there has always been the risk of the virtual world taking over real life! Yes, communication is so much easier now and it's far more convenient to throw out an email or two rather than visit that person at their home if they are a local friend. I spent a lot of hours online and this includes the virtual world secondlife! I live alone in anycase so I'm not neglecting any family members, I don't have anyone in the way of family! In terms of exercise though I'm pleased to say that my online activities have not stopped me from exercising on my machines within my home! I'm quite passionate about that and wouldn't have it any other way. I suppose there are going to be a lot of people that really don't get out much and there will be those that don't have anyone in their lives and so the Internet is a real life source for them and it keeps them sane! I think that the creation of the Internet is the best innovation this century! Andrew

I don't think that new technology is an addiction. It is very useful specially when we want to keep in touch with our old friends and I has made things easier for us. It lets us know what is happening in our friends life. when I get a response from my old friend I feel very happy. I don'tr expect someone to reply to my mail, I would mail him to let him know that I remember him. I hardly spend 2 hours online to be in touch with them and have lot of time left to be with my family. This way I can give my whole weekends to my family rather than going out to meet my friend.

I don't spend that much time online. I'll probably spend it usually asleep or with my partner. Seeing as how he's the only real person I have contact with outside of my neighbors in my complex. I don't feel that I'm really detached from the world, because I still keep in contact with people. And anzity can attack regardless of the cermstances. I'm not going to blame technology for the reasonings behind it. I'm not. Believe me.... I've had to do without it for four days and it nearly killed me, because it was the middle of the summer and I couldn't literally breathe. As for the net, I may be on it, but it doesn't distract me from the real world. I don't sit and wonder how someone is going to react based by an e-mail or lack there of.

anything in excess is bad.