I've made the decision to embark on a scary and possibly life changing experiment. I've put quite some thought into this and I know that it will be for the better. I've decided to quit the internet.
Now before everyone's jaws drop, please allow me to elaborate. This will not be permanent, and there will be a few conditions. I'll start by saying why I want to do this.
I suffer from chronic procrastination. I feel that most of it can be attributed to wasting time on the internet, and on gaming. Whether it's mindlessly scrolling through the facebook newsfeed, or playing League of Legends, or even googling for endless bits of information and getting lost in one of those loops like the one you find yourself in if you've been browsering youtube for too long. If I could cut down the time I waste there I could spend more time being focused on studying. Yes I can multitask homework with a tv show and a few skype conversations but it takes a lot more time than if I was productively focused on just the one important task.
I also feel that I have limited my human interaction to such an extent that I feel detached from reality. I'm already a natural introvert and as an introvert I thrive on the internet. The internet is my comfort, it's my security blanket, but it also often ends up being the barrier between me and a normal life.
By severing myself from general internet usage I hope to force myself out into the world a bit more. Instead of hiding behind my phone or computer I want to engage in conversation with my fellow students more often. Instead of staying at home every night I want to go to more social meetings like the board game meetings without making up excuses so I can stay home and play video games in my comfy pyjamas. I want to force myself out of that safe zone so I can make more interesting life experiences and have some sense of fulfillment when I look back on my early 20's.
I know everyone has New Year's resolutions and a lot of those resolutions end up failing but I do intend to stick to my oath on this one. I will be off the internet for approximately 6 months starting New Year's day January 1st, 2015 and ending on my birthday on June 25th, 2015. If this experiment proves to have been fruitful, I will keep up the low internet usage to encourage productivity.
There are never enough hours in a day but I'd love the chance to have more time to do things like read up on the books I bought but haven't gotten to, start writing my own book that I have been gathering ideas for, and maybe pick up on playing the piano again.
I will be making a few exceptions to this quitting the internet thing.
The first exception is for school assignments: I have to write my thesis next semester so I will need internet access for research purposes. I also need access to the Blackboard environment of the law faculty so I can stay informed on my curriculum.
I also make a second exception for e-mail and whatsapp. Whatsapp so my mom and my brother know I'm alive and email for practical reasons because I do also have a university e-mail address that I have to check periodically. Anyone that wants to stay in touch with me can e-mail me at [email protected] and most of the people I talk to on a frequent basis already have me on whatsapp. Just don't expect to get quick replies from me, but I will be sure to check my e-mail on a weekly basis at least.
I considered making exceptions for netflix and spotify. Concerning spotify I have offline playlists. I think I'll waver the need for netflix. A lot of the tv shows come back somewhere in the summer of 2015 and for the others I can wait it out. If I need to see a movie badly enough I'll go to the theaters. I'll be sure to binge on remaining shows in the little time I have before New Year's. After that the only tv I'll see is when visiting family.
I do renounce all video games though. Not just online games like League of Legends or Hearthstone. Also all the games I have on steam and origin. This is to stay in line of all this being for increased productivity. I've already been decreasing my gaming these past weeks so hopefully that helps. I do consider my gaming and internet usage as an addiction.
I will be posting this message to my tumblr, spinchat, and other websites I frequent. I will be uninstalling the facebook app and all other apps from my phone as well. I'm keeping the weather app though! It rains a lot in The Netherlands and its nice to know when I need to bring an umbrella. And an exception to the public transportation app so I know what times the trains leave. For the news I'll just learn to pick up the (free) newspaper more often.
I hope you will respect my decision to do this and if possibly even understand why I'm doing it. I love you guys, and we can stay in touch through intimate, lengthy e-mails old school style. Or you can even call me for that matter. Let's meet up more often, do stuff! The introvert in me screams PLS NO at the thought of phone calls and such but the introvert in me is going to be repressed these coming months so ignore her. I hereby say goodbye starting New Year's eve, and hopefully hello again for my birthday in late June.
