The Blessings and Curses of the Internet

I needed a break from the internet. I want to do so much in life that isn't Clash of Clans, yet Clash ends up taking my free time.

This graph is from the week before my internet fast.

4+ hours playing clash. 4+ hours on Facebook. Admittedly, a lot of this was while doing something else: resting while weight lifting, riding (not driving) in the car, or pooping.

It was time to see how much it hurt to not have the internet, so I cut all non-work ties. I'll admit, I accidentally clicked a few articles and felt the pull to check Facebook, but overall I was pretty clean.

So, what's the internet good for?

Blessings

• Podcasts
• Music streaming
• Killing time between sets at the gym
• Communicating with friends/family
• Meal planning
• Bill paying
• Focus at work
• Rule clarifications for Star Trek: Fleet Captains

Curses

• Mindless use of social networks
• Clash of Clans
• Random Youtube videos

The benefits of the internet far out weight the costs. So, the first morning I had the internet again, I got up, and wasted 15 minutes playing Clash and checking Facebook.

Age 31 List Results

Whelp, I'm 31 now, that means last year's list is over. I completed 10 out of 19. Not quite the showing I would like, but still got some good stuff out of it. Biggest thing I learned with these items is that when I make hard-and-fast rules, I have some long-standing negativity towards the "bad" thing that lasts long after the goal's timeframe. There was also a bonus goal of becoming a father that was a big deal this year.

1. Randomly help some strangers - Failed
2. Develop a meditation practice - Success
3. Call extended family once per month - Failed
4. Come up with and execute a photography project - Success (more on this one later)
5. Learn to speed read - Success
6. Troll a bunch of people in a positive way - Success
7. Stage a roller coaster picture - Failed
8. Don't buy anything for a month starts - Failed - gave up after a week
9. Don't eat any added sugar for 30 days - Success
10. No internet for a week - Success
11. Read a book by someone with opposing views - Success - the first one felt like it was cheating to count it for this goal, so I added another.
1. Every day is an Aethist holiday - Penn Jillette
2. Scientology: The Fundamentals of Thought - L. Ron Hubbard
12. Spend at least one night with the Amish - Failed
13. Give a public presentation - Failed
14. Fruitarian for a week - Tried and gave up (more on this later)
15. Learn to do a freestanding handstand - Failed and put a large dent in my wall. This one will be coming back next year.
16. Don't drive for a month - Success
17. Interview my grandma - Success
18. Get a colonic - Success (if you can call it that)
19. Ride a mechanical bull - Failed - surprisingly hard to find this in Omaha.

What ideas do you have for the next list?