I've been wondering if the time would come for me to limit my Internet time. When I was journaling this morning, the answer became clear.
Listed below are 5 Reasons I need to limit my time online.
1. There can be too much of a good thing.
Probably the number one reason that I spend so much time online is because of the learning opportunities. Any question I may have, the internet will have some sort of an answer, or at the very least, another person who has asked the same question. While gaining all of this knowledge can be a good thing, there can be too much of a good thing. Mostly, I need more balance in my life. More time spent sitting in my husband's presence, more time in prayer with our Lord, more time cleaning our house little by little instead of getting overwhelmed when it all piles up.
2. It stresses me out about school.
This has been true for the last several years! When I was a Junior in high school, I became obsessed with choosing a college and a major. I would search for hours on end! Now that I have chosen a college and two majors, I still spend hours online contemplating school. I look up Master's programs that I want to pursue after my Bachelor's degrees. I look up certificates I could earn. But mostly, I check my school e-mail and online learning portal obsessively! Even if I am right on track with individual assignments and group projects, and don't have a test for weeks, I still feel behind. Sometimes I need to just let that e-mail be.
3. I am starting to notice a skimming problem!
I have been an avid reader since I was four years old. I would absolutely devour books, soaking in all the nuances of the characters and searching for the hidden meanings strewn throughout the plot. I loved to read! I still do. But lately, whenever reading something in print, I will find myself skimming over a beautiful description of scenery just to get to the "more interesting" part. This is a habit I have developed online, and I need to break.
4. The age-old comparison trap.
We are always going to have people in our lives that we look up to and admire. That's a good thing! But it goes to an entirely different level when we have a whole list of awesome bloggers that we read every day! Most of these women are quite a bit older than me, and in completely different stages of life. Most of them are not in college. They are simply a couple steps ahead of me, and that is okay! I can still learn so much from them, and be grateful for the influence that a complete stranger can have on my life. But sometimes I need to spend more time around people my own age, perhaps simply to sympathize about the realities of just starting out.
5. It is starting to be mindless.
I believe God has called each one of us to live a purposeful life. When picking up my computer in the morning becomes an automatic response, I know we have a problem. If checking my e-mail becomes more important than getting out of bed and eating breakfast with my husband, I need to take a step back. I want my automatic response when I wake up in the morning to be praying, "God, what would You have me to do today?" and making sure to pause for His answer.
Do you need to limit your internet time?
Do you already have limits set?
Thanks for reading,
Keep living joyfully,
Melody Maynard
Listed below are 5 Reasons I need to limit my time online.
1. There can be too much of a good thing.
Probably the number one reason that I spend so much time online is because of the learning opportunities. Any question I may have, the internet will have some sort of an answer, or at the very least, another person who has asked the same question. While gaining all of this knowledge can be a good thing, there can be too much of a good thing. Mostly, I need more balance in my life. More time spent sitting in my husband's presence, more time in prayer with our Lord, more time cleaning our house little by little instead of getting overwhelmed when it all piles up.
2. It stresses me out about school.
This has been true for the last several years! When I was a Junior in high school, I became obsessed with choosing a college and a major. I would search for hours on end! Now that I have chosen a college and two majors, I still spend hours online contemplating school. I look up Master's programs that I want to pursue after my Bachelor's degrees. I look up certificates I could earn. But mostly, I check my school e-mail and online learning portal obsessively! Even if I am right on track with individual assignments and group projects, and don't have a test for weeks, I still feel behind. Sometimes I need to just let that e-mail be.
3. I am starting to notice a skimming problem!
I have been an avid reader since I was four years old. I would absolutely devour books, soaking in all the nuances of the characters and searching for the hidden meanings strewn throughout the plot. I loved to read! I still do. But lately, whenever reading something in print, I will find myself skimming over a beautiful description of scenery just to get to the "more interesting" part. This is a habit I have developed online, and I need to break.
4. The age-old comparison trap.
We are always going to have people in our lives that we look up to and admire. That's a good thing! But it goes to an entirely different level when we have a whole list of awesome bloggers that we read every day! Most of these women are quite a bit older than me, and in completely different stages of life. Most of them are not in college. They are simply a couple steps ahead of me, and that is okay! I can still learn so much from them, and be grateful for the influence that a complete stranger can have on my life. But sometimes I need to spend more time around people my own age, perhaps simply to sympathize about the realities of just starting out.
5. It is starting to be mindless.
I believe God has called each one of us to live a purposeful life. When picking up my computer in the morning becomes an automatic response, I know we have a problem. If checking my e-mail becomes more important than getting out of bed and eating breakfast with my husband, I need to take a step back. I want my automatic response when I wake up in the morning to be praying, "God, what would You have me to do today?" and making sure to pause for His answer.
Do you need to limit your internet time?
Do you already have limits set?
Thanks for reading,
Keep living joyfully,
Melody Maynard