Take a Break

The Internet is Cool! (when it’s not Hurting You)

Has this ever happened to you while going on the internet?

“Boy oh boy! I can’t wait to go on Twitter and see what everyone is posting! I’m sure everyone is having nice and simple conversations—”
(five minutes later) “There is not an ounce of good inside humanity.”

I’m going to take a wild guess and say this has happened to at least one of you while exploring the internet. It seems like people are getting more depressed and angry the longer they spend online. But how and why is this happening? Let’s look at the facts to understand why people feel this way when spending time on the internet.

Your Time on the Web

Okay, so obviously, you can spend more than five minutes on the internet without losing your mind, but how long should you actually spend online? According to most sources, it’s generally agreed that you should spend at least 10 hours on the internet a day. People typically spend at least 6.5 hours online these days. So, is the solution to spend even more time on the internet? Well, no—it’s more complex than that. You see, younger people, between the ages of 16 and 24, spend at least 2.5 more hours online than other age groups. Not only that, but people have jobs and careers that require heavy internet use, which leads to even more time spent online. Depending on the job, it could go way over the limit.

There are also games designed to grab people’s attention by creating a sense of F.O.M.O. (fear of missing out). These “live service” games end up eating away at your time, leading to, you guessed it, more hours spent on the internet.

So, for the sake of argument, let’s say there’s a random 17-year-old guy out there who has a job in cybersecurity, and his favorite game is Fortnite (an example of a live service game). Assuming Josh, (the imaginary guy we’re talking about), works from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and considering that a typical Fortnite game lasts between 30-40 minutes, he could spend his free time playing at least three games. Assuming he gets off the game at 8 p.m. to go to bed, that means Josh is spending over 16 hours and 30-40 minutes online! He’s pretty much spending his entire day, and then some, on the internet, and that’s not okay.

Studies show that long-term internet use can lead to sleep disorders, depression, social isolation, neck aches, headaches, and even high levels of anxiety. The fact that most people have access to the internet at basically all hours of the day means more people are using it, and those people are slowly starting to spend more and more time online.

Ok but Seriously, take a Break Man

Now, we at MLK-365 hope that you’re not using the internet that much, but for those of you who are, let me let you in on a secret: the best way to deal with internet addiction is (drumroll, please)... to just take a break.

Now, I know some of you will say it’s easier said than done to take a break from something that’s become such a vital part of our society, but there are ways to limit the time you spend online. The first method is my personal favorite: set a timer on your phone or elsewhere. When you have a set amount of time that you control, it not only makes you a better time manager but also allows you to plan accordingly. This means you can spend your limited time on the internet efficiently and get a lot of work done. It can also help you limit your time on video games, so you can:
A. Think about new strategies to use.
B. Spend more time doing something else.

Another way to limit your time on the internet is by spending time away from your technology. Try doing something like hiking, playing a game with your friends or family, going somewhere fun, writing that novel you promised to start when you were 16 and it’s been haunting you ever since, or buying some ice cream! There are so many things you can do away from the screen that most people forget about.

Finally, the last way—and probably the most effective method to deal with internet addiction—is (second drumroll, please)... to read a book! Cricket noises I’m not joking—that’s the best way. Studies show that at least 54% of the world uses the internet for entertainment. But we tend to forget that there are already many other forms of entertainment besides watching cat videos. You could watch TV, play a game, or (like I said earlier) read a book. There are so many other ways to entertain yourself than by staring at a screen inches from your face 24/7.

Now, I probably should say some things about the internet before I go. We at MLK-365 aren’t encouraging anyone to stay off the internet altogether. The internet has become a vital part of our society and a valuable tool for humanity in general. BUT, you shouldn’t spend all your time on it. It’s good to take breaks from it now and then.

Another thing I should mention is that I am writing this as an 18-year-old working on a website blog with a video game obsession. So, take my words with a grain of salt. Lastly, I want you to know that no matter what you do on the internet, make sure you are responsible with your time, and take breaks now and then.