When did I become so dependent on the internet?

Last week we had a mini tragedy in our house.  The internet was down!

Not in a down for a couple of hours kind of way, this was a down until further notice.  It took a 90 minute phonecall on Thursday night to establish it would be fixed on Monday at the earliest.  Leaving us with at least 3 full days (and a weekend) with no Wi-Fi!

But what about 3G you may ask?  We live in a small pocket of 3G randomness where it will appear in 10 minute intervals if you happen to be stood in the right place in the right room at the right time.  Essentially for the foreseeable future I was cut off! In the future I will definitely be researching internet services near me to ensure this doesn’t happen again.

Initially it was liberating.  No FB or Instagram to check.  No blog posts to comment on.  As a result the iPad sat largely unused and my phone was rarely checked.  As I sat snuggling with O on the couch I wasn’t using one hand to check through my Twitter feed.  On Saturday we cuddled up on the couch and for the very first time watched a film together.  A perfect way to spend an Autumnal afternoon with no other distractions, and I surprised myself at how much I loved Wreck-It Ralph.

By Sunday the novelty of being Internetless was wearing thin.  I hadn’t realised how much I relied on it.  I couldn’t listen to my Spotify, or check the weather, or catch up on my Sky News app.  I couldn’t have a nosy on the Boden sale or take a sneaky peek at the menu of the restaurant where we going later that day.

But most of all, I missed reading blogs. I missed checking in to see what people were writing about, I missed Twitter and Instagram. Over the last year or so since I started blogging I hadn’t realised what a big part of my life it had become.

Whilst it was lovely to spend a few days with no distractions I did feel more than a bit lonely by the end, and that’s the lovely thing about the blogging community. There’s always someone there to have a bit of a chat to when you feeling like you need a bit of company.

Funny to think 15 years ago I was only just starting to use the internet and 20 years ago I had no idea what it was, and now it’s something I’ve come to rely on so much more than I ever knew! The break was nice, but I was a very happy to be back in the virtual world. Although I have promised myself to spend a bit less time with my phone in my hand!

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23 Comments

  1. Notmyyearoff
    October 8, 2014 / 5:48 am

    Oh this would completely be me! I am like the person from tht Peter Kay sketch, checking my phone every 30 seconds for no reason whatsoever. I find it really tough to put it away. I’ve got much better but I’m not sure what’s few days would do to me 🙂

  2. Beth Twinderelmo
    October 8, 2014 / 6:18 am

    It’s crazy isn’t it – the feeling when you go somewhere with no signal. You feel totally cut off and isolated. And yes whiles it is lovely – it has it’s time limits!! #sharewithme
    Beth Twinderelmo recently posted…Wicked Wednesdays #11My Profile

  3. October 8, 2014 / 6:20 am

    I am the same. I google EVERYTHING-sometimes good, sometimes bad haha.
    I don’t know how any of us lived before,
    Glad you got it back though xx

  4. October 8, 2014 / 7:27 am

    I was in the exact same situation a couple of weeks ago when suddenly and for no reason at all, our landline stopped working. Like you say, initially i felt quite liberated being ‘technology free’ but this lasted all of a day before i started to feel really cut off from the world and like i’d lost a limb. It’s surprising just how much we rely on the internet these days. xxx #sharewithme
    Vikki Holness recently posted…LumiPotti ReviewMy Profile

  5. October 8, 2014 / 8:43 am

    Argh i can unfortunately relate to this one! Internet regularly goes down here and I totally agree with everything you’ve said in this post. Initially it feels good and then you scorn yourself for using the internet so much when you could be spending time with your kids or doing something useful around the house blah blah blah and then you start to miss it. When it comes back ahhhhhhhhh its good haha!
    seychellesmama recently posted…Messy play strikes again {Wicked Wednesdays}My Profile

  6. October 8, 2014 / 10:52 am

    I felt sure you were going to say how liberating you find out! Of course you did initially, I think we all would but I definitely get twitchy after a day or two. A terrible case of FOMO going on here! Glad it’s back 🙂
    suzanne3childrenandit recently posted…Easy Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese FrostingMy Profile

  7. Helen Porter
    October 8, 2014 / 12:06 pm

    I am exactly the same sometimes I wish I could put it down for a while but you don’t realise how much you rely on something until it has gone or just how much you use it I think I would have been having withdrawals too! #sharewithme
    Helen Porter recently posted…Dear Mums in the play ground a simple Hi will doMy Profile

  8. October 8, 2014 / 12:47 pm

    This reminds me of me!
    We recently went to Cornwall and I had NO phone reception…which was wonderful and gave me lots of family time. But by the end of the week I was itching to have a peek at twitter, instagram and sadly I really missed my OK! app!!! Please don’t judge me! :-0 x
    Laura Evelyn Bee recently posted…Time travel, shopping, nappies & mudMy Profile

  9. October 8, 2014 / 1:31 pm

    Wow that must have been weird, I can totally imagine that it was nice to start with… But 3 whole days! I would have been itching to get back online by then! It is crazy how much a part of life it has become now isn’t it? Xx #sharewithme
    Caroline (Becoming a SAHM) recently posted…Looking forward to being me againMy Profile

  10. Leigh - Headspace Perspective
    October 8, 2014 / 6:06 pm

    It’s amazing how dependent we have become on the internet in a relatively small space of time. So much of what we do relies on having it – from Googling everything to our entertainment to reading blogs of course! Most importantly I think the net helps keep us connected – though it never replaces face-to-face catch ups Xx #sharewithme
    Leigh – Headspace Perspective recently posted…Things to never say to a bereaved parentMy Profile

  11. lifeatthelittlewood
    October 8, 2014 / 7:54 pm

    We are the same with 3G Jo – it’s non-existent here too! I loved this, and I’d be exactly the same. One day of no Internet feels liberating, but after that I get so twitchy!!xxx #sharewithme

  12. October 8, 2014 / 8:40 pm

    I think this would be how any one of us would feel in the same situation Jo. Even when I miss out on a regular linky like Share with Me I feel a slight sense of lonliness because I look forward to all the wonderful interactions I get to have with other regular linkers and newbies! It’s a bit like a club night which you attend in person – miss one and it feels a bit weird. Glad you’ve got your wi-fi back – this is, sadly, one of my worst nightmares at the moment! 🙂 #sharewithme
    Sam recently posted…Flat pack!My Profile

  13. October 9, 2014 / 1:07 pm

    It’s amazing how much we depend on the internet isn’t it? Banking, socialising, school newsletters- its all online! I need the internet for work so during the week I cannot live without it at all! x x
    ghostwritermummy recently posted…Return of The Bump: 34 weeks and a quiet weekMy Profile

  14. Merlinda Little (@pixiedusk)
    October 9, 2014 / 1:17 pm

    Internet is amazing. I got to chat with my sister almost everyday! I dont know how i’d react when it will be taken away for days. I would definitely go to the library and do some checking on emails and things. But same as you I am using it less now when my son is at home and giving him more time than before. #brillblogposts
    Merlinda Little (@pixiedusk) recently posted…IELTSMy Profile

  15. Potty Mouthed Mummy
    October 9, 2014 / 1:27 pm

    I completely panic apart from 3G/Wifi I have to be honest!!! Glad you had some lovely moments with O though, after our holiday I am trying hard to keep the phone down a bit and I feel a bit better xxx
    Potty Mouthed Mummy recently posted…Regrets? I’ve Had a Few | The PromptMy Profile

  16. Jenny
    October 9, 2014 / 2:02 pm

    Oh no that is awful. I was the same a few months back and it got so long of a wait I started going to a pub at night to catch up on work after the kids had gone to bed. Pathetic I know. But most of my friends in the uk are online friends and I so desperately missing what was happening on twitter and instagram and blog posts especially. It’s hard. I can’t imagine life without them either even though it wasn’t too long ago. Isn’t it funny. Thanks for linking up to Share With Me #sharewithme
    Jenny recently posted…Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Chair Review & GiveawayMy Profile

  17. October 9, 2014 / 4:42 pm

    I always tell my other half off for checking/playing on his phone and being online but I am also terrible! I can put it down if we are out though, he thinks nothing of getting his phone out mid conversation, it drives me crackers! x
    Claire Wright recently posted…Week 25 of PregnancyMy Profile

    • October 9, 2014 / 4:45 pm

      My husband is exactly the same. I hate it when he gets his phone out when we’re in the middle of dinner. He definitely gets a telling off for that! x

  18. Emma
    October 9, 2014 / 6:41 pm

    It’s amazing how much we rely on the internet now! Most of the things that I do in my spare time involve the internet and, as a household, we are very similar to you when the internet goes down – at a bit of a loss. It is nice to step away from the internet now and then though, I must admit!

    Emma | frillsanddoodads.com
    Emma recently posted…Review: Graco Mirage Travel SystemMy Profile

  19. October 12, 2014 / 7:58 pm

    Oh my gosh you did really well to get through it Jo, i might have had a breakdown 😉
    Tbh though as much as i hate having no internet sometimes it can be nice to have an enforced break when you go away, it makes you properly relax! x
    Katie recently posted…The bad mums to-do listMy Profile

  20. October 13, 2014 / 1:10 pm

    Mad how disconnected you can feel isn’t it although I LOVE switching everything off on holiday, a digital detox is so good for the soul! Thanks for linking up to #brilliantblogposts x
    Honest mum recently posted…Greek Bean Soup (Fassolatha)My Profile

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