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Internet Addicts Start "Unplugging" Once a Week

by Terrence O'Brien on April 22, 2008 at 09:03 AM

Is It Time for a Tech Sabbatical?
It is well established that we are a culture driven by connectivity. And its not just Americans that check E-mail on the john. or text while driving -- it turns out hat even the Italians and British are choosing TV over sex. But some out there are choosing fight back against their (our) addiction.

Sharon Sarmiento realized she had a problem when she started blogging in her dreams and hearing phantom instant messages while far from her computer. Similarly, Ariel Meadows Stallings compares her time in front of the new boob-tube to being blackout drunk: "I would sit down to check my email and it was almost like I would wake up six hours later and find I was watching videos of puppies on YouTube," Meadows told a Reuters reporter. Both women have taken to "unplugging" at least one night a week and have blogged about their battles with Internet addiction.

Unplugging once a week, one weekend a month, or even for two weeks out of the year is probably good not just for your personal relationships, but also for your mental health. It's difficult at first, and many even suffer from withdrawal symptoms such as tremors or extreme nervousness and irritation, but we can assure you that once you get past the initial pain, it's amazing how pleasurable not having to hear the ping of your instant messenger every 30 seconds can be .[Source: Reuters]

Tags: e-mail, email, health tech, HealthTech, instant messaging, InstantMessaging, internet addiction, InternetAddiction

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