So I was reading THIS article about a new book coming out that looks at the effect that the internet has on our brains. I was intrigued by the topic because I was in Colorado at the time for the AP World History grading. Without my laptop and internet access my nights would be almost unbearable. After the grading I'd hang out with the crew and go to other activities. But when the sun went down I usually headed to my room and browsed the net for a couple of hours. I would watch TED talks and lectures or youtube videos. I would catch up with friends on facebook or whatever. I'd send video emails to my wife and son. The idea of not having internet access the nine days I was in Colorado just seemed unthinkable. What would I do differently if I didn't have a web connection was the question I asked myself.Well, I lived a year in Spain without a laptop, internet access of any kind and no iPod. This was back in 1996-1997...in the tech dark ages. I didn't even have a phone at my flat. I had to use a phone booth down the street if I wanted to make a call. And you know what? Life was great.
Not having any entertainment in my flat (no TV even!) forced me out into the city to explore. I read a whole heck of a lot more. I finished a Tolstoy, Turgenev and a Dostoeyevsky. I journaled a ton and wrote real letters to friends and family back home. I listened to Barcelona radio. I didn't even know what I was missing.
If I made that trip today...my experience would be a lot different. I'd have my iPod, laptop, cell phone and what have you. I would probably miss out on much of the experience of being out in a foreign city.
Fortunately that experience encouraged me to head out most nights in Fort Collins. I either hung out with friends, walked around the town or enjoyed just looking at the mountains. But it was tempting just to go back and play on the computer. I really wonder what the long term effects of our internet addiction will have on future generations.
