My Internet is my drug?

My Internet is my drug?
7 July 2013

After a brief and frustrating spell of being Internet-less, the Internet gods are smiling down on me once more.  Oh happy days!  Or rather more appropriately, “Hallelujah!!!”.

On occasion, I marvel at how reliant we've become on being connected.  At how unconnected, disjointed and set adrift we feel, without the secure knowledge and comfort that the great big world out there, is but a mere click away.  The Internet has become so entrenched in our daily lives and in our beings as a whole, that it is hard to remember a life without it.

When did we become so dependant?  So aware of our ever present need to "connect"?  Did it just creep up on us?  Our awareness and need to define ourselves through the Internet?

And how did we cope before?  Where we forced to make real human contact before a click of the button did it all for us?

Perhaps such is the joy of the digital age?  We take these things for granted.  Without even a second thought, we see it as our due.  I know I most certainly do.

But then, the Internet is not our only digital fix.  Cell phones make up a remarkable portion of that drug addiction too.  And given the large amount of apps available for downloading (using the Internet of course), connectivity is made even easier.

Now I have a rather large family.  This is a wonderful reality for me.  Every single one of us, barring the very youngest kids have cell phones.  And many of these phones, are “smart” phones at that.  It stood to reason, that we would all connect via WhatsApp.  Why wouldn’t we after all?  And so we have a little family group, called “The Lombard Thing”, even though many of us “Lombards” aren’t even technically Lombards anymore.  We have branched out to include Cloete’s, Nagel’s, Auld’s, Bertolani’s, Loubser, etc.  Still at our core, the group we define ourselves through, identify with most, and that forms our basis and roots, is Lombards - hence the group name.

One short month ago, one member of our tribe left for a year long stint in Istanbul.  And already we have felt the loss of Adam’s presence.  We gave him an awesome send-off do (is there any other kind?), and have been communicating often via Facebook, Skype and even the odd phone call.  Still most regular contact is done through WhatsApp.  The group chat is fantastic and at the click of a button, everyone is quite literally on the same page.  And just tonight again, we were all having a fabulous family “chat” together.  From family members in the Strand (that would be me), Somerset West, Durbanville, Stellenbosch, Tulbagh, Joburg, Melton Mowbray in the UK and quite obviously Istanbul too.  And Adam remarked that in the short time since he’s left, we’ve already sent 542 messages via WhatsApp. 

What can I say?  It’s been a slow month….

Still, we’re all so grateful for the regular contact afforded to us, through the marvels of cell phones, downloaded apps, Facebook, Skype, etc.

In which case I must confess,

“Hell, yes!  My Internet is my drug!”

 

And I have no strong ambition or desire to detox off my nasty habit and wean myself off my drug of choice.  Though I suppose I could find myself a lovely online group to help me work through this need of mine.  But perhaps that would be cheating and defeating the ends of justice and end up feeding my obsession?

 

Hey, it could be worse.  I could be addicted to porn. 

 

Still the Internet is not my only drug.  I must confess to having a few more substance abuse issues.

My blog, regular contact with my family, coffee, gummy sweets, my BB, spooning with my Grantie, cuddles from my kids, phone calls with my Mom, weekly episodes of Survivor…..

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The Internet has become so entrenched in our lives

WhatsApp!