Why I Love the Internet
It has occurred to me recently that I love the internet for a variety of reasons. The first is because I'm a shy person. That news will surprise friends but unfortunately is very true. I HATE phones! I'm not good with strangers on the phone. I get tongue tied. The internet allows you to do a great deal of business without having to use the phone or talk to strangers. Plus, there's the convenience of not driving, all over the place, in Stockton's summer heat. (I feel bad complaining because it's not even hot yet. However, in my defense, I did just get back from a winter climate.) In the last two days I've been able to change my address on DMV, re-register to vote (because of my new address), check my jury duty status, look up info. on Albert Einstein, look at drawings by Al Hirschfeld (Thanks Joe), print directions to a Fourth of July party and window shop in Aotearoa/New Zealand's Jade Factory. Of course, there's the daily looking at email, blogs, and (I can't believe I'm going to admit this) the reading of my horoscope. The ease of the internet is amazing!
I had a friend in high school who was the personification of a computer guru...o.k. geek. He built personal computers, when he was five, back in the seventies before anyone but universities & governments had desktop capabilities. He told me that one day I wouldn't be able to get through a day without using a computer. Well, Greg you were right. I thought you were nuts because why would an actress (what I wanted to be at the time) need to use a computer daily? I thought only the techies in theater would need to. However, I've become as dependent (addicted) as the next American on how easy a computer makes my life. Yes, I was without internet access in NZ but not without computers: atm's, money exchanges, guidance systems on the planes, trains, boats, and coaches that we used. The mind boggles at how accustomed I've become to the use of the digital world. Especially because there is no time limit to any of it.
What do you love about it? Or is it a burden?
posted by Cjristina at 5:18:00 PM
1 Comments:
Well you know that I absolutely love the internet (although I do sometimes get tired of everyone thinking because I understand computers that I can fix anything thats wrong with them, or explain to them why their's isn't working). I too am shy and pretty self concious. When I discovered the internet in high school (for those of you astute enough to notice the difference Cjristina and I are 12 years apart in age...thats a long time when it comes to technology but not so long when it comes to friends!) I found a way to express myself without having to worry about my perception (and others) of what I look like. I got my first boyfriend through the internet (as well as a few subsequent ones) and e-mail became almost an obsession. When I started working for an internet company and had to answer 100 e-mails a day at work my personal inbox got a bit overloaded (and hasn't necessarily recovered) and I started collecting e-mail addresses like kids used to collect baseball cards. I only have four addresses now but over the years I have had up to 7 or 8 at a time. I know excessive, but it was a novelty (one that is becoming a bit monotonous these days). These days, it seems that my addictive personality has become entrenched in the daily use of a computer. I text message (I even learned how to IM from my phone while camping) and e-mail to keep in touch. I use the phone less and less (I never was a big fan either Cjristina!) in my personal life, and spend what feels like 12 hours a day on the computer (if you take into account using the computer for work). Anyway, I still love the internet and (mostly) all that it brings into my life (some of the porn is even ok :-))
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