Internet; How much is too much?

To me, I believe that technology can be a double-edged sword. There are so many good and bad things to the internet but it all boils down to how we use it. If used too much, it can become addicting and distracting in harmful ways. It can take us out of the real world and make us less interactive with the people and environment around us. Also, depending on what you are using the internet for, it could be mentally harmful and exhausting. People wake up to their phones and are on it all day until the second they go to bed, myself included sometimes. However, completely removing the internet from our lives is not necessarily the right choice.

The internet also brings a lot of joy and benefits too many people. For me personally, social media is an exciting thing for me to check. I am in my early twenties, so I have so many friends and family that are now starting to get engaged, married, have babies, start careers, and more! I love seeing news like this and pictures attached. I do not live in the same state as my siblings or parents and besides texting in a group chat; we connect through Facebook as well. I use the internet for a lot of my schooling and even my job every day, so it would be very difficult to go without it.

I believe that it is essential to teach people how to be mindful internet users and not make them think they have to completely give up the internet. If used in moderation, appropriately, and with purpose the internet is a great tool for many. I need to realize when I am mindlessly scrolling through social media because I am bored and when I have already seen everything once or twice already. For me, the internet can be exhausting when I think about all of the emails, paperwork, and more that needs filled out for work, school, or other things. A way that could help me be more mindful with my internet usage is by limiting me on certain apps. By putting a limit or restriction on things, after I use that time up I cannot use it again until the next day. By doing this, I am not completely removing it from my life, but I am helping myself not waste time on the same things.