Do you consider yourself to have internet addiction?

Amara 94 · #1 25th October 2022, 23:04

If so, what do you think causes your addiction?

Iâ€™m kind of having a depressing day. Realising how alone I feel and stuff. I might journal about it but so far I think some causes of my internet addiction are social anxiety, loneliness and the fact that I never really feel good enough.

Recently brought makeup. I see Instagram people I follow who are makeup gurus and artists. I spent my two of my three days off trying to learn makeup. The days I wanted to learn were days I decided to not go out at all half due to keeping this a private interest irl. But I realise the main thing I disliked about my visit to Nigeria was that I was always around family so I couldnâ€™t do it learn anything in private. But generally I was happier. It makes me feel the need to feel above average or even special causes me to use the internet a lot sometimes but also causes a feeling of not being good enough.

I think Iâ€™m running away from the fact that I am average at a lot of stuff or even below average.

Dougella · #2 26th October 2022, 16:17

We all have varying degrees of ability at different things. No-one's great at everything! Some things we can get better with practice and some things we can enjoy doing them even if we're not good at them.

The internet and social media can give us a false impression a lot of the time, people only put things on there that are going well or when they're having success. We have to make sure we're watching and following content that's realistic and honest. Atleast that's what I try to do anyway.

Mr. Nobody · #3 26th October 2022, 16:48

I think that there's often this annoying need for us to feel better or above average than others in some form,

Unfortunately this just seems to be ego at the heart of it,
It's basically competition, which is never going to end well I think,

I think it's beneficial to have some force working upon us to achieve better things for ourselves, I'm not sure that competition is going to ultimately make us content in a positive way,
There's always going to be a sense of superiority behind it that will inevitably drive a wedge between us and others,
I think it's always going to be divisive in nature,

Feeling good about yourself should be the key,
Not based on comparison with others, but on how good we feel about ourselves in our own skin
How relaxed we feel in our own skin,
I'm not sure comparison is ever going to bring that.?

EmotionalPumpkin · #4 26th October 2022, 16:51

Well put Dougella

Love especially this idea that we can learn to enjoy things without feeling the need to be great at them.

I have a PhD so I've accomplished some things in life, but really struggle with travel, so I would be very very pleased with myself if I had managed to pull myself together enough to go on a trip to Nigeria!

Yes the internet sucks, the world is just too big now to have a competitive mindset. It's not easy, but I find just trying to focus on my own goals in life and how and I make progress with them is what helps the most.

3stacks · #5 26th October 2022, 17:14

Not really an addiction, I just have nothing better to do.

Sent from my SM-S908B using Tapatalk

Hayman · #6 30th November 2022, 20:25

Similar to 3stacks above - I'm on the internet a lot simply because in my own personal time when I'm not at work, I don't particularly have anything better to do.

The internet - YouTube and Twitch in particular, are far more appealing to me than the television. I'd actually go as far as to say my 'relax time' has been in the ratio of 5% TV and 95% YouTube/Twitch for about three or four years, now.

Amara 94 · #7 30th November 2022, 22:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3stacks

Not really an addiction, I just have nothing better to do.

Sent from my SM-S908B using Tapatalk

There is a lot you can do. Iâ€™m completing a puzzle at the moment for example and itâ€™s taking really long to do. I think i underestimated how long it would take. There are tons of other activities.

I feel like internet addiction currently is brushed under the carpet by a lot of people because the internet is also useful. I wonder if it would begin to be taken more seriously when the meta verse becomes a bigger thing.

Amara 94 · #8 2nd December 2022, 00:14

^Yeah, I think I use the internet out of loneliness but it feels unhealthy as it wouldn't solve anything.

Jen. · #9 2nd December 2022, 09:43

The internet is such an ingrained part of life that viewing it as something separate from "real life" seems like an outdated view. It's probably more helpful to view possible addictions in terms of the individual activities they involve, e.g. refreshing social media feeds, watching endless YouTube videos, doomscrolling news sites, playing those garbage ad-based mobile games, etc, rather than as an addiction to "the internet".

Amara 94 · #10 2nd December 2022, 09:45

^Yeah, you are right. Itâ€™s like electricity in a sense. My mind constantly changes on issues like this.

That said there are people, young adults that take a break from the internet or go back to feature phones. The short periods Iâ€™ve been offline I notice a difference. I think itâ€™s just stimulation but itâ€™s like I can focus more in the present. However the convenience of the internet always seems to make it creep back in my life. The last time I took a break from the internet I thought of a childhood friend I havenâ€™t spoken too for years. He is on social media but doesnâ€™t post much. Was a gamer when I was young but now is a boxer. I thought how he was doing and learning something real with his life and not just posting online. How stuff like cancel culture or even peoples opinions on WhatsApp, WhatsApp???, didnâ€™t matter when I took the break. How social media can add a dimension of stress to ones life though in reality I think it depends how you use social media.

Recently I have been speaking with an older cousin in Nigeria. I like her but also find her a bit controlling or feel conflicted since she is religious so I must be religious she thinks being gay is wrong. I know this is cultural but it means that I have to be a bit guarded around her. As a people pleaser I feel this is the truth for lots of my interactions. Itâ€™s something I need to work on I guess.

challangerchris · #11 16th December 2022, 09:48

As a long-term quiet person who always struggled with forming relationships with people the same sex I found the internet somewhat of a relief. This was back in the day of ICQ and IRC when things were just getting going domestically. My family memebers would say I was weird for sitting at a computer on these internet platforms - and look where we are today! So many people can't be without their phones now, and these are the people that branded me as weird.....oh how the tables have turned.

I think because I spent so much of my youth on the internet instead of dealing with real-life situations I've gone the opposite way now and kind of hate what the internet brings. It has a lot to answer for.

Tembo · #12 16th December 2022, 11:05

Since Covid and the lockdowns, I find myself picking up my phone almost subconsciously, so Iâ€™ve become a bit addicted since then.

I now find Facebook more interesting than before, because there are lots of geeky groups on there which keep me up to date with my hobbies and interests. Same goes for Twitter - I know it gets slated, but I follow a lot of good people involved in my interests. But the algorithm seems to have been screwed since that egomaniac took it over, and I get random rubbish popping up on the timeline and lots of far-right stuff for some reason. So I may try and use Twitter less.

It doesnâ€™t help that Iâ€™m watching YouTube more than the TV. Iâ€™ve found there are such great documentaries and vlogs which seem to be much better quality than the dumbed down rubbish on TV. However, I have a smart TV, so Iâ€™ve been trying to watch YouTube on the TV instead to reduce screen time. Ok, I know TV is still a screen, but I feel it might be better for my eyes rather than a screen close up to my face (donâ€™t actually know if thatâ€™s scientifically proven)

Hayman · #13 18th December 2022, 16:57

Yes, Tembo. YouTube seems to be 'the' place to be. Especially if you want to learn something or see documentaries/explanations from different perspectives on subjects that interest you. Something you'll never get on regular television. Despite the notable rise in frustrating adverts on YouTube these days, I still find it considerably more entertaining than TV. Fortunately my own TV is connected up to the internet, so it literally is just 'watching the TV' for me. I have to admit I find YouTube much more user-friendly if I watch it through my laptop though.

I don't personally have any time for Facebook and haven't for several years. I have an account but it's used solely to keep up to date with companies I follow. I don't actually contribute anything to it or have any intentions on doing so.

AuroraSky · #14 19th December 2022, 05:00

I really love the armchair travel of YouTube plus a particular budgeting site called The Financial Diet and I pay for the ad-free YouTube premium, it's easily worth it. I waste time on Reddit, the sub for my actual city I sometimes learn something useful on. If you count Zoom as the Internet l find the support groups for my disability a good resource and I find it easier to interact online than IRL where my SA has regressed quite a bit.

Hayman · #15 20th December 2022, 09:41

I'm beginning to consider YouTube Premium to get rid of the adverts. To begin with, I didn't actually mind the odd advert. I understand why they're there - to help the content creators. However over the course of this year, the adverts have increased in length, the five second 'skippable' ones have decreased and there seems to be more ad breaks than previously. It's getting to the point where it's now causing me to basically miss some videos out from those who I watch, simply because I know I'll have to add a few minutes to basically everything I watch. It's become excessive. In a way, this is why I enjoy watching those with low numbers of subscribers. I do feel YouTube is trying to push people onto the Premium service.

I've always found it easier to interact with people online than in real life. Whilst I don't do much forum posting any more, it was something I was very much involved with on various places right from the late nineties (when they were known as 'Bulletin Boards' - I'm old!) up until three or four years ago when I decided I was probably spending too much time on them.

Jen. · #16 20th December 2022, 09:54

^ I've never understood why people still seem so unwilling to pay for subscription services for things they use and enjoy. Â£12 a month for YouTube doesn't seem like much at all if it's something you spend time on. It wasn't that long ago when people would happily pay Â£10-20 (which would be worth Â£20-40 these days) for a single DVD they'd likely only watch once. Probably always worth trying for a month or two and then making an evaluation then to see if you think it's worth continuing.

Amara 94 · #17 20th December 2022, 10:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hayman

I'm beginning to consider YouTube Premium to get rid of the adverts. To begin with, I didn't actually mind the odd advert. I understand why they're there - to help the content creators. However over the course of this year, the adverts have increased in length, the five second 'skippable' ones have decreased and there seems to be more ad breaks than previously. It's getting to the point where it's now causing me to basically miss some videos out from those who I watch, simply because I know I'll have to add a few minutes to basically everything I watch. It's become excessive. In a way, this is why I enjoy watching those with low numbers of subscribers. I do feel YouTube is trying to push people onto the Premium service.

I've always found it easier to interact with people online than in real life. Whilst I don't do much forum posting any more, it was something I was very much involved with on various places right from the late nineties (when they were known as 'Bulletin Boards' - I'm old!) up until three or four years ago when I decided I was probably spending too much time on them.

You can use brave browser. It cuts out the ads and is free.

Hayman · #18 23rd December 2022, 18:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alone.

You can use brave browser. It cuts out the ads and is free.

Many thanks indeed for the tip, Alone.

I started using this pretty much as soon as I saw your post and I have to say, I've been impressed with it so far. No adverts at all. I'd never come across Brave Browser until then...

If only I could find a way to make it a default browser that the app on my television could run it through (and not just my laptop), I'd be over the moon! I'm not a tech-savvy person so I've absolutely no idea how easy or hard this would be...or if it's even possible at all.

SpaceMonkey · #19 23rd December 2022, 21:05

If you'd rather stick with your current browser there are add-ons that block ads too. I use 'uBlock Origin' for Chrome and it's basically flawless at blocking ads on websites including videos on sites like YouTube.

It's actually a shock to the system when I load a YouTube video on my phone and get hit with ads that I've totally forget existed!

Stepford · #20 26th December 2022, 01:33

^ For no ads on YouTube you can use Invidious or FreeTube. also I Don't Care About Cookies stops EU cookie notices on Chrome/Brave. I hardly ever come across adverts these days.

AuroraSky · #21 26th December 2022, 05:02

Is there an app to watch YouTube on a FireStick without ads?

Percy · #22 26th December 2022, 17:20

No, i'm not addicted

Ronnie_Pickering · #23 27th December 2022, 22:11

it is tricky when you're unemployed. There isn't really a considerable amount you can do. I try get out and do a walk once a day, and occasionally town. But then you got like another 10 hours to fill. So I am on the internet a fair amount. If I could have pets, then I'd probably be on it less.

Stepford · #24 30th December 2022, 22:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by AuroraSky

Is there an app to watch YouTube on a FireStick without ads?

Check out Kodi. You will have to create a Google/Youtube API Key. It's a bit of work doing all the Kodi settings but I knew how as I used Kodi on a Raspberry PI. I bought a Firestick 4k in the Christmas sales (best buy I had all year), works great with Kodi (RPi had some issues) which is literally an operating system, tons of channels, Youtube, Rumble etc. PM me if you need some help, I don't mind.

Back to thread, I wouldn't say I have an internet addiction, more a computer addiction. I've got six, three PCs (need to build another up to date one) and three Raspberry Pi 4s. Computers are good if you're dyslexic and peculiar...

Hayman · #25 31st December 2022, 20:02

@affluenza - That's understandable. I found myself unemployed for around six weeks back in 2010. My routine was basically get up, have breakfast whilst watching a bit of TV, search for jobs online for an hour or two (depending on what there was to apply for) and then the rest of the day was basically online if I had nowhere else to be... I'd say around eight to ten hours would have been a reasonable guess as to how much I spent online daily.

I do spend most evenings online after finishing work, so I'd say my daily 'working day' average was around three, maybe four hours.