So for this post, we had to monitor everything we did on the Internet for one whole evening. I figured Easter Sunday's evening would be a great candidate, because I wasn't on my laptop at all during the day (I was too busy putting myself in a food coma). So when I got back to my apartment in Madison, I started to take note of everything I did online.
I guess (technically) my internet usage began at about 8 p.m., right before I got into the city. As a person who hated the Chicago Blackhawks, I was religiously checking my smartphone's ESPN app to see if they had broken the 3-3 overtime tie with the Canucks (unfortunately, they did...and won). So my night online began in my car, and it just goes to show how easily the internet can be accessed.
From then, I got home, unpacked then turned on ESPN and had my MacBook Pro on my lap. It was time for me to catch up on the 46 emails I had ignored from Thursday to Sunday. Business first. After about a half hour of deleting, responding and deleting some more, I could vacate my WiscMail and get onto the important site. Facebook. Honestly, I could spend hours (which I do) on that site without ever getting bored. I had about 30 notifications to go to, some friend requests to ignore and some new photos to creep on. And as if watching SportsCenter in the background wasn't enough, I was still checking my ESPN tab on my laptop, just in case something perked my interest and I wanted to look it up more.
With Facebook always one of the tabs, I checked my Twitter three times, my LinkedIn once, UWBadgers.com twice, my bank statement (I hate being 21) one time, the weather once, the NYT three times and Groupon once. But I thought the funny thing about checking these sites is before going right to the next site, I'd take a look at Facebook in between, just in case, you know...I got tagged in something--who knows?
After about 2 hours online, it was midnight, and I was tired. I finished unpacking, got into bed, and went to my desk and pulled my laptop in bed with me. It was time for one final round of email, Facebook and Twitter checking. I had no new emails, no new @ tweets, but one new notification. My 9-year-old cousin added me on Facebook. It was time for bed. But not before one quick run through of the most addicting game known to man: Block Breaker
But, I only made it to level three. NOW it was time for bed. Except for one final Facebook check (it's almost like I do it subconsciously). Amazingly, nothing had happened on it in the last two minutes.
I think this was probably my favorite blog post of the year, because you really take for granted how much you use the internet. It's almost--for me at least--sort of something I just do when I get bored. A time filler, if you will. I'm interested to see if everyone else feels the same way...
Wow, it seems like you use your computer almost as much as me! It is weird to think of how much we use these devices everyday and I almost don't know what I would do without them, we kind of just take them for granted now.
ReplyDeleteYour description of going from Facebook, to Twitter, to email, and back again sounds very familiar and is something that I am definitely guilty of. It's kind of crazy how routine this has become for me and I'm sure many of us, yet sounds kind of ridiculous when written out. Although I refresh Facebook every other second, how often does something new actually pop up? Regardless, my habits are certainly not going to change anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Alexandra... I spend wayyyy too much time on Facebook, and there's usually not very many exciting things happening on it... However, I usually can't avoid it (not really sure why). I'll be tracking my Internet usage tonight, and I'm sure there will be wayyyy too much time spent on Facebook and Skype...
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