Today I received my March issue of Babytalk magazine. As I was waiting for the cookies in the oven to finish baking, I opened it up and started reading this article on moms being addicted to the internet. It really got me thinking about how much I use the internet and WHY I use the internet. It talks about internet errands like paying bills, shopping, checking bank statements and such. But also about blogging, facebook and other social internet activities. Here is a piece of it that caught my attention:
"I called it my 'avoidance cycle. Whenever I felt overwhelmed, I would escape into mindless web surfing. I'd find myself circling through the comments section on my blogs to my photos on Flickr to see if anyone had commented on them, and then over to Twitter to see if anyone was chatting with me there. I'd waste hours just waiting for someone to respond to something I'd said or posted." Because she'd skip errands and allow her kids to make a mess of the house, she says, her stress only amplified, and she'd dive into the avoidance cycle all over again."
How many times have I blogged instead of doing the dishes or cleaning the bathroom. How many times have I put on a video for little K so that I could finish one more thing online. Ok, it isn't that often, but still too often.
I highly suggest reading this article. It was good to see that I am not the only one that does this but also made me realize that I need to be a little more aware of the time that I am online.
* As I sit here and ponder the ideas in the article it seems a little ironic that I am now blogging about it. The article needed to end by saying 'if you are planning to go and blog about this article right now, then it is a good thing you read it!'
2 comments:
This is such a common thing now, that it is hard to actually find someone that this does not affect.
I would have considered myself in an avoidance cycle early on, but realized that the cycle was never ending and bad. I put strict restrictions on myself, like blogging when kids are napping or only when C is home.
My house actually has never looked better than it does right now, but only because when I had the urge to dive into my internet routine, I made the conscious effort to clean instead. I can honestly say that for me it is not my life and it does not consume me. I can see that this could be a problem for many and I am glad that a parents magazine is touching base on the topic.
Try not to be so hard on yourself. I have seen you interact with Little K and I have been to your house. I can honestly say that it is evident you are not one of THOSE moms. It is okay to enjoy a little bit of time for ourselves. It makes us better moms. We just have to know our own limits.
What an interesting article. A new way to escape from reality! I find that when I am checking to see if anyone writes/cares, I know that I need to take a break and get back to real life.
We believe in moderation! Just keep that in mind. Sometimes we all need a little break! (0:
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