Confessions of an Internet Junkie
As almost four months of parental leave come to a bittersweet end, it is probably time to come clean about something quite troubling: I'm an Internet junkie.
It has been obvious for years that something was terribly wrong. The symptoms included checking several e-mail accounts before showering in the morning; taking my BlackBerry to the gym; and looking longingly at Internet cafes while on vacation.
Then, my parental leave started where, in theory, I would be totally focused on the needs of my two daughters. Instead of interviewing high-tech CEOs, it would be arts and crafts, visits to the park, and long, slow walks to the library and perhaps Starbucks.
Most of this stuff happened but I also spent a lot of quality time — and probably, quantity — on the Internet. In my defence, I would argue the Internet offered a much-needed intellectual outlet.
When you spend all day at home with children, you need something more exciting and stimulating than Dora the Explorer and changing yet another diaper.
As for what I was doing on the Internet, there was, of course, e-mail to keep in touch with friends and family. Sad as it is to admit, this included work e-mail to avoid coming back to a mountain of unread correspondence.
Then, there was my new and obsessive love for eBay. For years, I have written about the company's stock performance and strategy but I had never become part of the eBay nation. For anyone who likes the Internet and shopping, the fun never ends.
Whenever I had some free time — young children tend to take naps if you're lucky — I was happily buying and selling. Running shoes, cordless phones, rolling pins, books, CDs. If I need to buy or sell it, eBay is there to help me.
A key part of my parental leave “deal” with my wife, Pamela, was that I agreed to make sure the children were clean and happy at the end of the day, and to have dinner ready. We have been married six years and, until this summer, she has happily done most of the cooking, which is not a bad thing given my culinary skills.
Faced with the daunting challenge of making something healthier than Kraft Dinner and Shake N' Bake, I naturally turned to my friend and constant companion, the Internet. In no time, I had bookmarked Epicurious.com, Cooking.com and Jamieoliver.com for much-needed advice.
Mind you, there is absolutely no possibility I will become a Susur Lee or, for that matter, a Sara Lee, but my cooking ain't too bad.
When you're cooking, you need music for inspiration. Unfortunately, commercial radio is awful — making the case for satellite radio even more compelling.
Thankfully, there is the Internet where you can find thousands of streaming radio stations that meet all kinds of tastes. In particular, I listen to Yahoo's Launch.com.
While my wife has been very content with my parental duties, the Achilles heel has been the Internet. There is little doubt she would be happier with a Web-free house — a stance that threatens to make her as a Luddite.
(In the early 1800s, Luddites were a group of English workers who protested against the changes produced by the Industrial Revolution, and often destroyed machinery.)
That said, I was delighted to discover recently I am not alone in my fascination with the Internet. According to a study done by Yahoo! Inc. and research firm OMD, people who went without the Internet experienced withdrawal symptoms within two weeks.
For these people, the Internet has become “the ultimate symbol of modernity to the point that study participants feel hobbled without access to routine information like maps and telephone numbers”.
Another survey by Conifer Research found that one-half its 28 participants suggested they could not go without the Internet for more than two weeks, while the average time respondents could go without being online is five days.
These studies cheerfully suggest I'm far from alone. In fact, there are millions of people out there just like me who refuse to hit the “disconnect” button. Of course, I could give up the Internet — as well as cable television and beer — cold turkey in a heartbeat.
Now, let me tell you about my fascination with the BlackBerry and my Web blog and how you can do all your banking online and pay your bills and order tickets and … … …
