Are internet breaks the answer?
In this dot com era, almost everyone owns a smart phone or gadget. Lives are literally run by these smart devices that it is almost impossible to live without them. Every now and then, an individual will come to the realization that a lot of time is wasted, relationships compromised among other things and come to the conclusion that the internet is to blame.
After this, it appears there is only one course of action for this individual and that is where an internet break comes in. This means that for the said period of time, the individual will not have access to facebook, twitter, instagram, whatsapp, true caller, foursquare…SMH, you know the applications right? Yeah, those are the ones the individual will take a break from.
I disagree with this and here’s why I am probably never going to take a voluntary internet break;
- Priorities: I landed upon an article where a guy took an internet break for a year. This did NOT improve his communication with his family and friends because he took as long to reply letters as he used to reply texts or even longer and did NOT improve his relationships in terms of more time focused on them nor did it help him meet certain deadlines. If you have your priorities straight, internet will NOT affect that.
- Internet is NOT the problem: Whenever people take internet breaks, it is because they feel as I have been led to believe that their lives are off track and they need to divert the time they always ‘waste’ on the internet to other aspects of their lives. However, internet is NOT to blame for deadlines not met, relationships failed nkebyo but knowing human beings they are always ready to place blame as and when the need arises.
- I’d be lost without the internet: I am of the view the MTN gonya is in cohorts with my Orange MBs because the rate at which they are eaten and the terrible timing can NOT be sheer coincidence. The internet is my friend and the same way we feel lost and abandoned when we lose a friend is how I am positive that I would feel if I took a voluntary internet break. Of course there are times when Kampala disciplines me so I live without internet for certain periods or as I like to call it boarding school. I went to Sheema over the Easter holiday and the signal was anywhere but there. It was a very trying time and I would never put myself through that.
- The internet is more good than harm: At St. Noa Junior School Zana Kibuye where I went for primary, we had millions of debates which probably explains why I am the way I am. The debate subjects ranged from Fire is more harm than good to boarding school is better than day school. I recently had to sell an idea to someone and said person could not for the love of all the oreos in the world understand why I did not seem scared yet a lot was at stake. My answer was simple, I had so much to gain and that is what gave me the cool demeanor that I wore. The internet brings so much more to the table than I could ever imagine. It is a perfect example of possibilities are endless and only a click away, so how cool is that?
Of course because Mr. 1986 fought for our freedom everyone is entitled to do as they please within certain limits of course and the internet happens to be one of them. However, the next time you think you need to take an internet break remember that the internet is on your side. Why would you burn bridges that you don’t need to and that make life better, sweeter, more efficient, to mention but a few? That thing they say about common sense not being common, yeah that one!
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