I Think I'm Addicted To The Elctronic Screens

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='arfink' timestamp='1324494169' post='2355240']
You could try doing what I did when I was at school for a while- force yourself back into the stone age. I still absolutely HAD to have a computer for homework, papers, etc, so I just picked one that did the absolute bare minimum and nothing more:

[img]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-qauUlZBYk1Q/Sh3z6T-6jpI/AAAAAAAAAJI/a8_N3ZIuveA/s800/DSCF2640.JPG[/img]

You'll notice I have two computers there: the "desktop" model is an Apple IIgs with a Lantronix MSS-VIA for ethernet hookup (email, writing papers) and the other is a Tandy 200 laptop, which I used in class for taking notes. Then I would hook up a dot matrix printer and print my notes so I could scribble on them. Very old-school, but it got the job done. I don't know if you have the fortitude to do something like that, as it requires a more intimate knowledge of such old machines. But hey, you could give it a shot and see...
[/quote]


I do all of my computing on an IBM 5100, except for web surfing which I do quasi-telepathically. John Titor sold me his 5100 when he was finished preventing WWIII and Y2K.

[Ice_nine]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1324455543' post='2354979']
Have you tried tuning out for a couple days? I will do this at some point, but it's not an option for me given my current situation... but the idea is that for a day to start, a week if you can handle it, you just turn off every 'connected' device. No computers, no tv, no phone, etc..
As I said, it's not something I can do right now, but after this whole long distance thing is done with I absolutely will find time to try it out.
[/quote]

I don't know if that's possible atm. I've kicked the internet for about a month one time, only checked my email for a few minutes each day, but I found myself wasting my time in other ways. At this point I'm trying to limit myself to one hour of internet a day, no games, and only 1 hour of the telly. The only show I really like is King of the Hill anyway, but i usually have it on for background noise. That needs to stop.

If you notice me on pm later today you have my permission to virtually roundhouse kick me in the face.

[quote name='DMcB' timestamp='1324473796' post='2355022']
Ice -

Habits are tough to break...but it is doable. When first coming back to the Church, I struggled with focusing during prayer (and I still do, from time to time, but to a much lesser extent). As you well know, it was VERY frustrating. With time and practice, I was able to cut off the part of my brain that wanted to think about everything but prayer. My wife would often comment about how much time I was spending in prayer. Little did she know, it was taking me 10 minutes to shut down my brain before I could even get started.

Stick with it, pray on it, and be patient...it'll happen.
[/quote]

I hope so! The trick is sometimes I look online for prayers, and then get diverted. I have a little prayer book but it's small and doesn't have much. Any good things in print I could try out?

[quote name='Papist' timestamp='1324474797' post='2355032']
I gave up TV for Lent one time. Who knew that reading could be so enjoyable. Since, we got the basic of all basic cable, which is about 12 channels and of two weeks ago they took EWTN from that list. Now I save about $45/mo and watch very little TV. Having little children in the house I want the TV off as much as possible.

My wife has a real problem with the computer. She now uses a stopwatch to keep a daily tally of the amount of time she is spending on it. Seeing the actual amount of time spent has helped her reduce time on the computer.
[/quote]

I live with my parents and my grandmother so I"m not paying for cable, and I doubt they'd give it up haha. The tv isn't really the main problem, it's more like the mouthwash for an alcoholic, you know if you can't get your hands on the real stuff (the internets).

(and I'm not trying to throw the word "addiction" around because I doubt it's that serious, but just for analogies sake, not to belittle anyone)

[quote name='brandelynmarie' timestamp='1324475472' post='2355036']
I got rid of my cable about 8 months ago. I still miss certain TV shows & I really have no idea what pholks are talking about with the new ones anymore. I've realized that alot of people are developing an attention span of a tick & yes, we have to "unplug" (at least occasionally) to get our equilibrium back. If you turn off the sound & just watch the images, you will see with some programming & most commercials that the images will switch every 3-5 seconds or so. It's down right scary.
[/quote]

I don't care about being up on the latest tv shows. I don't like watching shows where you need to "follow" it for the season or end up completely lost. But watching it without the sound is scary! Not to mention how every other clip has a sexual undertone to it. I mean beaver dam I'm not trying to be a prude but, it's so constant and unrelentless!

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1324478177' post='2355066']

Now I watch more TV but if I find a good author, I usually get ALL of that author's books and work my way through them and then back to TV again when I have nothing to read. I also do my online activities while I have the TV on. I can't seem to watch TV by itself anymore - not interesting enough!

I probably spend more time online these days than usual, but part of that is research work for various things I have happening in my life right now (travel bookings, convent research etc). But I don't feel addicted because I can always disconnect the Internet, especially when I have to do my typing work or prayers - I think a routine helps. I have a pendulum wall clock that chimes, and it lets me know when it's time to do something. So perhaps getting a cooking timer or something would help those who need a reminder to get offline?
[/quote]

That's razzle dazzle, I love reading but my brain has trouble settling into reading mode. It smells of elderberries. And the problem is a lot of times I log on to do research oriented stuff but end up getting WAY sidetracked. ZOMG I need to tell my facebook friends about this razzle dazzle article I read that i know they absolutely won't care about!

[quote name='arfink' timestamp='1324494169' post='2355240']
I don't know if you have the fortitude to do something like that.
[/quote]

I do not.

As much as I'm plugged into this croutons, dealing with technology is so frustrating because I have the competency of your average 70 year-old when it comes to such things.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='Ice_nine' timestamp='1324505759' post='2355404']
I don't know if that's possible atm. I've kicked the internet for about a month one time, only checked my email for a few minutes each day, but [b]I found myself wasting my time in other ways[/b].
[/quote]
Is it possible the problem is procrastination rather than electronics 'addiction'?

[DMcB]

[quote name='Ice_nine' timestamp='1324505759' post='2355404']
I hope so! The trick is sometimes I look online for prayers, and then get diverted. I have a little prayer book but it's small and doesn't have much. Any good things in print I could try out?
[/quote]
Sorry, Bub, I doubt I know of anything that you don't...just print out a few at a time, and shut down the machine. I hear yah on getting "diverted"...Just keep trying, it'll happen.

[arfink]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1324498335' post='2355286']
I do all of my computing on an IBM 5100, except for web surfing which I do quasi-telepathically. John Titor sold me his 5100 when he was finished preventing WWIII and Y2K.
[/quote]

If you actually have a working IBM 5100 laying around I know a few (ok, a LOT of them) collectors who'd be willing to give you a short stack of Benjamins for it.

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='arfink' timestamp='1324531640' post='2355794']
If you actually have a working IBM 5100 laying around I know a few (ok, a LOT of them) collectors who'd be willing to give you a short stack of Benjamins for it.
[/quote]

Aren't they worth millions these days?

[arfink]

[quote name='Nihil Obstat' timestamp='1324569324' post='2355906']
Aren't they worth millions these days?
[/quote]

Not quite.

Edited December 22, 2011 by arfink

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='arfink' timestamp='1324569576' post='2355909']
Not quite.
[/quote]
I saw one listed on a website for five million, although that could have been a typo or something.

[Nihil Obstat]

I just saw some others for a few thousand, so yeah must have been a typo.

[Papist]

[quote name='arfink' timestamp='1324494169' post='2355240']
You could try doing what I did when I was at school for a while- force yourself back into the stone age. I still absolutely HAD to have a computer for homework, papers, etc, so I just picked one that did the absolute bare minimum and nothing more:

[img]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-qauUlZBYk1Q/Sh3z6T-6jpI/AAAAAAAAAJI/a8_N3ZIuveA/s800/DSCF2640.JPG[/img]

You'll notice I have two computers there: the "desktop" model is an Apple IIgs with a Lantronix MSS-VIA for ethernet hookup (email, writing papers) and the other is a Tandy 200 laptop, which I used in class for taking notes. Then I would hook up a dot matrix printer and print my notes so I could scribble on them. Very old-school, but it got the job done. I don't know if you have the fortitude to do something like that, as it requires a more intimate knowledge of such old machines. But hey, you could give it a shot and see...
[/quote]

I cut my teeth on the Commodore 64.

[img]http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/c64/h/complete.jpg[/img]

[arfink]

[quote name='Papist' timestamp='1324570182' post='2355918']
I cut my teeth on the Commodore 64.

[img]http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/c64/h/complete.jpg[/img]
[/quote]

I still got one of them around too, but it's not as powerful (and thus not as useful) as the Apple IIgs. BTW, the Apple IIe was my first real computer.