Moms, are you addicted to the Internet?
What with Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and the continuing expansion of mom social networking sites, it can be easy to get caught up in the wild world of the Web. In a recent Motherlode post, Lisa Belkin explored the relationship between moms, specifically new moms, and internet addiction.
In between diaper changes, playing and naptime, moms turn to the web for conversation, advice and interaction with other moms. Whether it is to take a much-needed break from the daily routine or an attempt to locate a great dinner recipe, some moms are finding themselves substituting blog posts for sleep or showers.
It can start with simply checking emails, move on to reading blogs, twittering — and pretty soon the day has passed you by.
It’s something I can certainly understand personally. While monitoring social media is part of my job, it’s not just part of my job. Between sending out tweets, looking up links that others have tweeted, checking profiles on new followers, searching for new people to follow, writing my own blog, looking to see if someone has posted a comment on my blog, reading other blogs, researching Web sites, emailing, reading incoming electronic newsletters, reviewing Google Reader, etc. – surely I’m forgetting something here — well, you get the idea.
Moms are you addicted to the Internet? How many hours a day to you spend online? What do you think the warning signs of Internet addiction are? And what do you do to take a break?
Oh yes, this one I can understand. I’ve been pretty addicted to the internet since the first day I got a hold of it at 18. Over the years I’ve learned to limit my time and break it up in segments throughout the day. My kids and family ALWAYS come first.
Cat, glad to see you’ve got in under control!