Thinking about Your Internet Life during Real Life?

Tomasso

Well-known member
Today when I was walking to class, I realized that I was thinking about a user from a forum that I participate on. I was thinking about how they were my best e-friend. Then I realized that whenever I am away from my computer, I am thinking about going back on my forums.

When a user who I am familiar with agrees with me on a thread, I get a warm feeling that this person is actually a real friend, which is absolutely disturbing, considering I don't know this person and have never even talked to them outside the context of the forum.

Then if I make a post on a forum and have to leave my computer for 30 minutes to a few hours, all I can think about is reading the replies on the thread.

Anybody have anything similar?

Is this bad?

Do you think I'm addicted?
 

Niteowl

Well-known member
No, I wouldn't say you're addicted, necessarily. I used to think about what I'd be doing on the internet a lot when I was in school, maybe because it gave me something to look forward to when I got home. I was never addicted. It was just a distraction from the bad things in school. I think it's perfectly okay to think about internet friends, and perfectly understandable if you don't have that many friends off of the internet. I'm sure you know as well as I do that internet friends are not much different from real-life friends, so long as you have reason to trust them.

As long as the internet isn't disrupting your learning, or making you miss more important things, then I think you have no need to worry right now. If you're concerned about spending more time on forums because you want to read the replies, most forums let you receive emails when a thread has been replied to, and if you have a mobile phone you might find a way to receive an alert when you receive an email. Just something to think about. :p
 

gustavofring

Well-known member
Yes I do. I often browse movie forums as well as this forum. As soon as an interesting question/thought pops into my head I feel like I need to go home and post it. Definately need to lower my internet use, but I feel that will happen automatically if I enroll into a fulltime job and won't even have time for this stuff. Hopefully.
 
Human interaction on a forum is about as real as interacting with people in real life. I'm a real person, writing this message using my brain/opinion, in attempt to communicate with you; another real human being.

It's only an addiction if it keeps your from doing thing you have/want to do, or when you feel like it's becoming tiring and yet you're forced by compulsive habit.

E-friends can be as real as real life friends. Online it's just more difficult to hang out and do things together, often making it feel like a stale relationship. But the essence is there; familiarity, comfort and companionship.
 

Phoenixx

Well-known member
I think about my internet friends and this forum quite often. I'll admit, I am addicted to the internet, and it can be quite an annoyance for me when I'm trying to focus on something else and my mind switches to thoughts about the internet. It's not exactly a bad thing though as long as it's not greatly interfering with your job/studies/etc.

When a user who I am familiar with agrees with me on a thread, I get a warm feeling that this person is actually a real friend, which is absolutely disturbing, considering I don't know this person and have never even talked to them outside the context of the forum.
^ There shouldn't be anything disturbing about this. Internet friends are just as great as real life friends. Heck they too can be your real life friends, if you're able to meet up with them and hang out in person and such. Like Puma said, the essence is still there, even if it is over the internet.
 

Nyxy

Active member
The only issue I have encountered with online interaction is the absence of that physical presence, where you are facing and engaging with that person directly, and the possible implications from this. I am currently working on my verbal communication skills and having a couple of people online that I would truly consider as life friends regresses my progress on this a bit. It's just so tempting to rush through everything that I need to do for the day, just so that I can talk to these people and enjoy my conversations online! You just need make sure that you are well-balanced with online and real life interactions. :)
 

MrJones

Well-known member
I have no real life, internet is pretty much my life and i usually think about it and the people in it.
 
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