Alvin Kerber

I really should stay off the internet. This probably doesn’t need too much elaboration, but it’s just too difficult for me personally. Reasons include:

• I gravitate toward argumentative comment sections which always leave me drained and sad. When insults get delivered at general groups, I often take them personally myself. This has especially been a recent problem for me on Hacker News because of certain categories I belong to.
• I am too easily swayed by authoritative comments in written form. The more educated and civil the commenters are, the more difficult it is for me. I think I am easily convinced by written arguments all the time, especially when presented in “book-like language.” This causes me to rapidly flip around my opinions without the time for deliberation that a book natuarlly provides. I have picked up all sorts of untrue facts and destructive ways of thinking over the last decade or so.
• The time I spend looking at things online cuts into my creative energy. It’s hard to get bored. Boredom makes me try new things and think through complicated ideas. When I look things up online, I don’t feel this need as heavily and so it’s very slow for me to make progress on complicated personal projects.
• When I’m looking at “fun” things on the internet, it’s difficult for me to pull away to pay attention to co-workers, family, friends, etc. This makes using a computer in any situation with others around trouble. I often miss things and upset people. My brain’s not completely on the social activity so subtleties get lost (it’s similar to having a conversation while driving).

With all that in mind, there are some good reasons to stay.

• Being informed gives me things to talk about with other informed people.
  • Counterpoint: both people in a conversation repeating things we read on the same websites is not much of a conversation. By spending time offline I’m more likely to find genuinely novel things to contribute.
• Using the internet is more fun (short-term) than sitting around being bored.
  • Counterpoint: I am rarely satisfied afterwards. Like watching too much TV or video, it leaves me feeling hollow and drained. Even as a kid I found non-internet things to do, and I should be able to do the same as an adult also.
• The internet helps me look things up faster during my personal life and while working on personal projects.
  • Counterpoint: Obviously, some internet use is essential. (Paying bills, communicating with friends and loved ones, etc). And I need to be able to handle things online and look things up quickly at work. But I don’t particularly enjoy that shallow mode of working. (Quick google search, type in what I found, rinse and repeat…). I do it because I have to. I think that in the long term looking things up the slow way, despite having more friction, allows for more discovery and creativity in the learning process. (This is why going to the bookstore or library is more fun and satisfying than clicking through books on Amazon.)
• There are many resources, both fun and educational, that are positive and only available on the internet: silly videos, blogs, news sources, essays, fiction, webcomics, etc.
  • Counterpoint: Most of this media is better consumed slowly offline in any case. With webcomics and news, I often lose the thread. Blogs, essays, and fiction require deliberation. Anything that’s really worth reading is worth printing out or finding in book form.
• This wouldn’t be a problem if I could just control myself. Other people use the internet without any trouble, at work and at home, so why I can’t I just grow up and deal with it?
  • Counterpoint: The first step is admitting I have a problem.

With all that in mind, I’ll be keeping a timer on my study/goals page of how many days I’ve successfully gone without wasting time on the internet. This is a pretty loosely defined thing. Last time I tried this project, I made it about 40-50 days before my definition of “wasting time” started slipping, and about 70-80 days before I quit. I would like to make this a permanent lifestyle choice, not just a sprint. It is healthier for me. Really, when it comes to wasting time, I know it when I see it – but here’s a quick list:

• Reading comment sections, anywhere.
• Reading comics, fiction, blogs, and papers. If they’re worth it, print them out!
• Reading news, news aggregators, or work news/fun groups.
• Looking at pictures and watching videos. (Exception: watching with friends/family)
• Reading media commentary or Amazon reviews. (Exception: deliberate purchasing goals, like “I need a textbook about X”).
• Surfing aimlessly on information sites (like Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Wikipedia, etc).
• Scrolling through feeds on social media.
• And, in general, opening a web browser without a goal in mind.

The following are NOT wasting time:

• Any internet use that’s necessary for my work.
• Communicating with friends and family.
• Briefly and deliberately checking specific reading sites for things to buy/print. But this is the most dangerous part and I’ll keep it confined to 2 hours per week, on Friday evenings.

And when I’m tempted to go surf the web, here are some things I’ll do instead:

• Go for a walk or move around outside.
• Read a fun or educational book.
• Find someone to talk to.
• Contact friends and family and see how they’re doing.

Finally, the hardest part of avoiding temptation is persistence over time. Nowadays, friction to start surfing the web is very low, especially when I’m at work. Luckily work is when I have the most willpower and motivation to focus. As for the rest of the time, here are some ground rules / strategies I’ll follow to keep the internet “at arm’s length.” Think of this as being like a dieter choosing not to buy junk food at the store (so they have to go out and buy it each time).

• When I get home from work, put down my work bag (with my work laptop and phone) in a specific location at home. Don’t pick it up again until I’m ready for work the next day.
• Keep my old, slow personal laptop closed and asleep unless I need to use it for specific online activities (finance, email, etc.)
• Use devices which I can’t surf the web on as much as possible:
  • I’ll do my typing and programming on my heavily-restricted Linux laptop, which supports only wired internet and has no window system installed.
  • My personal phone has parental controls enabled which prevent use of web browsers.

I look forward to a happier, more productive, and more relaxed life.