The thing called the Internet

I am starting to wonder exactly how many peoples' lives have been taken over by the internet (and smart phones). I have been sitting here for about two hours uploading and re-uploading photos and images to my design website. At the same time I have been checking out Facebook, Twitter, and having a browse of what jobs are about. On my phone I have been Whats Apping a group of friends. I am actually being productive. The reason that I am on the internet is to sort out my website and look at jobs, the other stuff is just while I wait. Just how many people are doing all of those other things with no exact purpose rather then to pass time, as well as being on You Tube looking at funny videos, playing online games, online clothes shopping etc. I really don't know what other "passing time" activities people do online, gamble maybe.

Is our virtual world taking over our real one? We look at friends' photos on Facebook, ask them about their holidays etc but what about calling them up or meeting them in person for a good old chin wag? It seems that this is taking a little bit of a back seat, and with time restraints in our busy lives, everyone is taking to the internet to get their daily dose of "friend."

 What about all of the other online activities? Are we playing online games, browsing,  You Tubing etc instead of doing exercise, taking up a hobby such as painting, knitting, going to a book club (and actually reading the book beforehand).

Do most people come in the door and immediately turn on their laptops or computers to see what has been going on while they were away or do they already know everything from constantly being on their smart phones? I wonder if there will be big consequences in the future due to overuse of the internet, such every child needing to wear glasses, inability for personal social interaction, a deterioration in team sports and hobbies?

But what about those people who actually do fit in their social activities but still manage to fit a few hours of the internet in each day? What did this time used to be used for? Family interactions and television? Does it mean that families are interacting less and less because everyone is huddled off in their own rooms playing the role of a virtual person?

I am a bit of a culprit. I don't do lots of things on the internet but can definitely pass time on it. I do exercise and read at night and go out for daytime walks and lunches with friends though. Yet I still have many uninterrupted hours to spend on the internet, and honestly sometimes I wish it was never invented. I wish I actually gave much more time to "writing that book," getting the latest trends from an actual magazine, browsing my design and illustration books, illustrating.

It seems that the internet is like an addiction. It lures you in and captures you in it's imaginary threads.