Paul Miller: I’m still here: back online after a year without the internet

Published on The Verge: May 1, 2013 10:40.

This article comes at an important juncture in my life—a time when I’ve just finished one huge commitment and have not yet begun another. The pressures of my earlier commitment allowed me to see just how much of the “busy-ness” of my life I could ignore with no real consequence. Now I question whether I want that busy-ness to seep into my day, to once again absorb all my time. Like Paul Miller a year ago I think, wouldn’t I be more productive without the distraction?

While I do appreciate the stimulation I receive from my online interaction, I also recognize that the Internet (like TV) can become a crutch, a place where I seek to be passively entertained rather than work on projects that require some thought or effort. This is not the fault of the Internet, only with myself.

I once moved to another country in an attempt to strip my life of all it’s previous baggage. (Well that wasn’t the actual purpose of the move, just an interesting side-effect.) In the end, perhaps like Paul Miller, I ended up cultivating all the habits of my former life, recreating myself in my old image.

Ultimately it is only ourselves we seek to escape from or reinvent. We cannot blame outside forces for our own natures. We have to address the root of our problems, ourselves.

GPlus Discussion

Experimenting with format.

Dieter Mueller May 4, 2013

+2
Amen!

Dieter Mueller May 4, 2013

+1
I live the “Always-on”-Lifestyle since 1991.

For me personally I decided at some Point that it can be a terrible Black Hole of meaningless Interestingness or a Diamond to sharpen myself.

I also decided to be as much “me” and “real” in my Online-Life as in Meatspace, because hiding behind Avatarism is often just a psychological Excuse to “skim” the Universe, but not to dive into it.

My biggest Criteria for all “Engagement” is “Relevance”.

The Internet has become such a Stream of irrelevant Turds and Distraction that it makes it hard to focus. Therefore it has to be treated like “Food for Thought”: stuff only healthy Stuff into your Brain – otherwise you gonna suffer from Brain Rot.

(Plus add the neurological Effects of Hyperrealism, Instant Gratification and social Feedback-Loops into that Equation)