2.12.2008

An addict?

Hello, bloggers. My name is Diane Mandy, and I am an addict.

Well, maybe.

The truth is I’m not sure, so I need you to be the experts in this matter. After all, reading this post guarantees that you are using, too. Yes, you *know* my vice.

Tell me then, dear experts and jury of my peers, exactly how many hours is too many hours to be spending on the computer?

In my defense and before you answer, please note that I do not have children, a job, working television, knoweldge of the commonly spoken language in my area, or a cell phone filled with local contact numbers. Moreover, my house is (relatively) clean; my laundry finished.

Ok, feel free to answer now. And know, I'll be reading your comments almost as soon as you post it because that’s what I do these day

... and nights.

21 comments:

Andrea M said...

I recently traded my laptop for a desktop and that is one of the major reasons I am not glued online all day (the other being those pesky children ;) . But that's only for the next two weeks where the computer is upstairs. Once we move the computer comes downstairs into the living room, where the kids will be (the little one at least) so many more hours will be logged. As I told my son who was home on holiday last week, the morning with coffee and computer is ME time little dude!
Ok, I spend about three hours maybe a day? 1-2 hours after school drop off and during Chick's am nap. Maybe 30 mins-1 hr during afternoon nap and an hour after they go to bed at night. And while I have lived here two years, my language and cell phone stats are close to yours (wish i could say the same for the house!)

M said...

it changes day by day. sometimes I spend only a few minutes checking blog or emailing other times it's hours on end. It also depends on how much work I'm doing on the computer as well. Some days I'm in front of the computer anyway and so that translates to procrastinating via email and blog. hehe.

christina said...

I loooooove the internet and spend way more time on it than I should, so maybe I'm not one to ask. My house isn't clean, my laundry will never be done but I just fed my kids so that must count for something. Did I mention how much I love the internet? I would have shriveled up and died here years ago without it despite speaking the local language and knowing the ropes.

Jamy said...

Let's see. My job is mostly writing and reading...so for at least half the day, if not more, I'm in front of the computer. (Guess what--I'm not always using the computer for work!) When I get home, I check the stuff that's blocked at work. If I'm watching tv, a corner of my eye is on the computer. Often I'm knitting, watching tv (sorta) and keeping an eye on the computer.

If I were in your situation, I'd probably use it even more than you are!

Sizzle said...

i am so bored with my job i am on the internet too much right now. i'm not a good judge then!

G in Berlin said...

Well, diane, this is the third time I have started a response to you, and this time the kids are letting me finish (the chicken is in the oven, the third load of laundry is in,Mona ser Vampire is on the German TV, and that today was a day I actually met domeone to do something, so you can imagine how often I am on the internet. Ending our evening with, we usually have American TV running on our 3rd laptop while the German and I surf on our other 2. So, first, I say to you- get Slingbox. I might have died if I had not. 2nd, you can alway call me if you want;-).3rd I put my laptop on standby rather than shutting it down so that I can check my blogs and e-mail w/o waiting for it to boot: I'm pretty dependent.

Dan-E said...

i know exactly how you feel.

Anonymous said...

Addict, here.

Ahmed Al-Sabbagh said...

wow

i like your blog

i wish to visit my blog

ahmed

Lise said...

Diane,
I think as long as it doesn't interfere with what is important to you in your life, then you're fine. I would love to be able to blog daily because our family is spread to the four winds and it allows us to stay in touch that way, but I spend most of my working day on the computer and usually by the time dinner, bathing, tidying is done for the day, i'm too pooped to go on the puter at home.
To soothe your sometimes guilty conscious, get out for the occasional stroll :)

The Grunt said...

I used to be totally addicted to chat and IM. I think I'd spend four hours of my day doing that stuff. Now I spend about a half an hour doing that stuff.

Lynda said...

Hmmm I thought I left a comment earlier... but then I might have been distracted by the 'you have mail' ping of my computer and raced off to read any and all comments left on my blog - I am an addict and proud of it! Oh and I DO have children, working tv, am learning the language of the area and when I am not online I am sms'ing.... and I lurrrrvvvee it!

Have you decided which flowers you want for Valentine? Don't you think I picked some fabbo arrangements? LOL *gag*

Anonymous said...

I understand what you're going through. Really, I do.

Cheryl said...

If it distracts you from everyday life, or people in your life, or like bathing or something, that's too much. If not, sit back and enjoy.

egan said...

Wait a minute, your laundry is all clean, folded, AND put away? I don't believe it. If so, how can we make more of you? We have laundry piles all over the house. Ah the joys of parenting.

I like how you describe the addiction. You're too cool for words Diane.

meno said...

There is no such thing as too many hours....

Well okay, if it interferes with sleep or sex, that would be bad.

Anonymous said...

When I became an expat, the Web became my one stop place for news, entertainment, and interaction with English-speaking people.

It's been three years, and I confess it's starting to lose its endless appeal. Of course in February, everything loses its appeal! Its the season for ennui.

Shelly said...

I don't call it my "laptop", it's my "crack-top". My laundry isn't done, I have paperwork to do, the bathroom isn't clean and I have company coming in two hours. Here I sit with my cracktop commenting on a blog of a total stranger...no...I'm not addicted. Nope, not at all.

Anonymous said...

I can't respond properly since I am addicted. Flickr is my vice.

Zhaan said...

Um yeah I'm an addict and I don't even want to talk about how many hours I'm on some form of a computer. Getting my n800 just upped the number of hours to most waking hours! :P

Christine Staley said...

Well, I work an office job and am in front of the computer pretty much all day.

Then I come home and take care of personal stuff for like another 2-4 hours... days off when I've got nothing else going on? I could be on all day...

But, in fairness, I don't really watch tv, so I get my news from online, I hate the phone so I email, and, I shop online too...
if you think about all the hours a day a person does those other things, it may not be that much different...

although. having a laptop and it being on my *lap* I do start to think about that whole potential "lap cancer" thing, and have been sitting at the table, which is much less fun, and therefore, causing me to be on it less..

and, now that I wrote you a mini novella, I'll be going :)