The Need to Feed the Digital Beast

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you probably spend too much time online.

Not to suggest time on the Web is a bad thing but, in general, people who make their livelihoods from or who are excited about the Web probably invest more time than they should online.

The balance between online and off-line is something I’ve struggled with over the past few years. The reality is the Web is fascinating, valuable and entertaining and how I pay the bills. But it’s also a time-suck after taking into account writing blog posts, Twitter, Facebook, e-mail and reading content.

The battle to retain some digital sanity is helped by having a busy family life, outside interests and lots of friends. Even so, there are times when I wonder what life would be like without the Web. How would we spend all those hours?

My thinking about online/offline picked up steam after reading a blog post by Jeremy Owyang about how he keeps up with social media. His answer is somewhat troubling:

“I’ve dedicated my life to how the web helps companies connect with customers, it’s something I knew I wanted to do for many years, I’m lucky I fell into my passion. It comes with costs however, I’m out of shape, stressed, I don’t sleep well, and my blood pressure is up.”

Personally, I don’t think it’s healthy (mentally or physically) or sustainable over the long-run. The Web is a beast that demands to be constantly fed. The key is maintaining a healthy balance so the time you do spend the Web is productive and stimulating.

My personal approach is doing most of what I need to do – writing, reading and e-mail – in the morning. My other digital sanity checks include not checking my iPhone on a constant basis for new e-mail, not worrying about whether I’ve done enough updates on Twitter, and pursuing outside interests.

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