Do You Ever Feel Like Quitting or Taking a Break from the Internet?

[Midfielder]

See here, so many posts above are spot on. Xela with your pics there especially. Also there's one other thing, it doesn't necessarily piss me off as I quite like people watching, even if it's in the corner of my eye while with colleagues or friends in pubs or wherever but this: 

when you're in a pub, and the "courting couple" or man and wife sit there with their drinks and they're both just finger swiping up and down up and down on whatever app, no conversation and that it's normal for them and don't notice others chatting shit or having a good time. I see this so much, and sure some of those relationships might be doomed if it has come to that but like I say doesn't necessarily piss me off but is an eye opener and fits with what a few of you have said about how hooked people are that even in the company of their partner, rather than chat (even if it's about a colleague or little Billy's dental appointment, anything rather than silence. So awkward to see as it really stands out. Why even go to the pub at all if that is how you're going to interact with each other? Chore maybe. Doing the minimum to "go out" whatever. 

People really are hooked. Also in times like that you see these guys scrolling through BBC sport or whatever they're on and they wouldn't even know that right opposite, their missus is probably talking to "Dave from accounts" about "more exciting things". These people never stay for two drinks either and if they order food, the conversations are so forced... well maybe that's just what I see down here maybe. 

[maqroll]

I want to take a long break from the internet because its a freakish horror show.

But then I'd feel cut-off from things I enjoy that I access online. 

Maybe I'll just unplug for a month to see how it feels.

[KentVillan]

Write down a list of things that cause you the most problems, and set some rules that are specific to those things. Quitting the internet entirely isn’t sustainable for most people, but you can do things like quitting FB, Twitter, Insta, porn, news websites, email notifications, etc that will still have a big effect on your mental health

I’ve personally found that turning off notifications is the most useful thing… it gets you out of the “I need to react asap” mindset that causes the biggest problems with internet addiction.

[TheAuthority]

2 hours ago, KentVillan said:

Write down a list of things that cause you the most problems, and set some rules that are specific to those things. Quitting the internet entirely isn’t sustainable for most people, but you can do things like quitting FB, Twitter, Insta, porn, news websites, email notifications, etc that will still have a big effect on your mental health

I’ve personally found that turning off notifications is the most useful thing… it gets you out of the “I need to react asap” mindset that causes the biggest problems with internet addiction.

Never been on FB and twitter had to go because of the stress.

I really enjoy VT 80% of the time.

Email is unavoidable but I don't have notifications. 

Now that Ukraine is happening I am afraid that I have dialed back into the 24 hour news cycle again and it is making me unhappy.

I just want to plant a garden and look after my family but feel compelled to keep up to date with world affairs 

[Seat68]

I have been making a conscious effort to put my phone away, literally in a different room from 5pm till the morning. I wasn't "present" and now I am giving a try at removing my phone for a few hours. 

[dubbs]

I quit FB about 10 years ago.  Haven't missed it,  only use LinkedIn and that's just for work stuff.  The net is mainly VT, news etc but my biggest problem is YouTube.  I know I spend to much time on there.  I've said a few times I need new hobbies but never been motivated to actually pick some.

[chrisp65]

2 hours ago, Seat68 said:

I have been making a conscious effort to put my phone away, literally in a different room from 5pm till the morning. I wasn't "present" and now I am giving a try at removing my phone for a few hours. 

I’ve silenced every app and notification on the phone. I have to pick it up and look at it to know there is anything there I’m being asked to react to. Even phone calls and texts.

6:00pm the phone gets put down, face down, out the kitchen. I’ll have a look at it sometimes if I’m waiting on something or just curious.

Work email gets knocked off the ipad when I know I’ve had enough.

Went out for a walk yesterday and didn’t take the phone. About to do the same this morning.

Then, if I feel like it, I’ll spend all evening on the nice bits of VT, twitter, Grindr, and youtube.

 

 

[tonyh29]

I can’t quit the internet until people stop being wrong on it , only then will my work be done 

Saying that , I made a decision to stay away from anything politics related on the web ( and real world for that matter)  a couple of years ago … since drowning out all that white noise I’ve noticed  I have more time to look at girls dancing on tik-Tok , which is what the web was really made for .

I still fact check films or documentaries as I watch them and reply to work emails late at night (drawback of having a client in America on different time zone ) but my web usage has definitely declined over the years .. just need to stop playing pointless games on the phone now 

[sidcow]

I don't do any social media except VT.  In fact I never have other than a very very brief dabble with Facebook when it first started. I gave up when a friend announced she was eating a bar of chocolate. 

Have a few WhatsApp groups. 

I feel no pressure to give up the Internet because I don't do any proper social media I think, everyone on here is constantly moaning about what a cesspit it is and what problems they have on there with family or friends being dicks.  I can understand that people don't want that shit in their lives. 

It seems to me this is a question of giving up social media,  not The Internet as such. 

[mjmooney]

1 hour ago, sidcow said:

I feel no pressure to give up the Internet because I don't do any proper social media I think, everyone on here is constantly moaning about what a cesspit it is and what problems they have on there with family or friends being dicks. 

Not everyone. I find Facebook very useful. There are some dicks on there for sure - but none of them are my family or friends. 

[sidcow]

1 minute ago, mjmooney said:

Not everyone. I find Facebook very useful. There are some dicks on there for sure - but none of them are my family or friends. 

For sure, maybe it's about filtering as well. 

[mjmooney]

12 minutes ago, sidcow said:

For sure, maybe it's about filtering as well. 

Oh, it definitely is. Two bad things about FB (assuming you've already filtered your friends list to weed out the dickheads): 

1. It's easy to get dragged into arguments with strangers on e.g. news sites. Either don't read those articles, or don't read the comments, or resist the urge to respond (sometimes easier said than done). 

2. It can be a big timewaster, just reading stuff which is interesting, but inessential. I find I have to periodically prune the groups I belong to, musicians I follow, etc. to keep it manageable. 

[theboyangel]

I do need to put my phone down in the evening when settling down to watch a program.

Too distracting and easy to pick up and scroll through VT and/or Twitter. 

 

[Rds1983]

Villatalk is a lot more enjoyable since I stopped reading On Topic. 

Twitter is a cesspool that I regularly think about quitting but it is useful for keeping up to date with stuff. I should probably block more people though to avoid the nonsense. 

I spend way to much time on YouTube but I do love Swedish gardening channels. 

I quit Facebook a while back after I accidentally liked a holiday picture one of my wife's best friends posted. 

 

[sharkyvilla]

I'm glad I've never joined twitter, I think at stages I'd have had to take breaks from that cesspool judging how riled up people get.  This place tends to filter out the shit I'd never want to see on other platforms for me. 

[fightoffyour]

2 hours ago, Rds1983 said:

Villatalk is a lot more enjoyable since I stopped reading On Topic. 

Twitter is a cesspool that I regularly think about quitting but it is useful for keeping up to date with stuff. I should probably block more people though to avoid the nonsense. 

I spend way to much time on YouTube but I do love Swedish gardening channels. 

I quit Facebook a while back after I accidentally liked a holiday picture one of my wife's best friends posted. 

 

“Accidentally” 

[Rds1983]

Just now, fightoffyour said:

“Accidentally” 

The like was definitely an accident.

Kinda hard to explain why I was looking at the album titled Mauritius 2008 and not sure she'd believe I was just interested in photo's about Dodo statues and her being in a bikini was a complete coincidence. 

[Xela]

35 minutes ago, Rds1983 said:

The like was definitely an accident.

Kinda hard to explain why I was looking at the album titled Mauritius 2008 and not sure she'd believe I was just interested in photo's about Dodo statues and her being in a bikini was a complete coincidence. 

Did she have nice dodos?

[TheAuthority]

4 hours ago, Rds1983 said:

Villatalk is a lot more enjoyable since I stopped reading On Topic.

 

What is this On Topic of which you speak? 

[Follyfoot]

4 hours ago, Rds1983 said:

Villatalk is a lot more enjoyable since I stopped reading On Topic. 

Twitter is a cesspool that I regularly think about quitting but it is useful for keeping up to date with stuff. I should probably block more people though to avoid the nonsense. 

I spend way to much time on YouTube but I do love Swedish gardening channels. 

I quit Facebook a while back after I accidentally liked a holiday picture one of my wife's best friends posted. 

 

Some bird on Twitter said she was going to get her baps  out if we won today. On the way back my mate started following her but his Mrs also follows him and he got a text just before we got back from his Mrs regarding the said matter