In this dot com era, almost everyone owns a smart phone or
gadget. Lives are literally run by these smart devices that it is almost
impossible to live without them. Every now and then, an individual will come to
the realization that a lot of time is wasted, relationships compromised among
other things and come to the conclusion that the internet is to blame.
After this, it appears there is only one course of action
for this individual and that is where an internet break comes in. This means that
for the said period of time, the individual will not have access to facebook,
twitter, instagram, whatsapp, true caller, foursquare…SMH, you know the
applications right? Yeah, those are the ones the individual will take a break
from.
I disagree with this and here’s why I am probably never
going to take a voluntary internet break;
- Priorities: I
landed upon an article where a guy took an internet break for a year. This
did NOT improve his communication with his family and friends because he took
as long to reply letters as he used to reply texts or even longer and did
NOT improve his relationships in terms of more time focused on them nor
did it help him meet certain deadlines. If you have your priorities
straight, internet will NOT affect that.
- Internet is NOT the
problem: Whenever people take internet breaks, it is because they feel as
I have been led to believe that their lives are off track and they need to
divert the time they always ‘waste’ on the internet to other aspects of
their lives. However, internet is NOT to blame for deadlines not met,
relationships failed nkebyo but knowing human beings they are always ready
to place blame as and when the need arises.
- I’d be lost without
the internet: I am of the view the MTN gonya is in cohorts with my Orange
MBs because the rate at which they are eaten
and the terrible timing can NOT be sheer coincidence. The internet is my
friend and the same way we feel lost and abandoned when we lose a friend
is how I am positive that I would feel if I took a voluntary internet
break. Of course there are times when Kampala disciplines me so I live
without internet for certain periods or as I like to call it boarding
school. I went to Sheema over the Easter holiday and the signal was
anywhere but there. It was a very trying time and I would never put myself
through that.
- The internet is more
good than harm: At St. Noa Junior School Zana Kibuye where I went for
primary, we had millions of debates which probably explains why I am the
way I am. The debate subjects ranged from Fire is more harm than good to
boarding school is better than day school. I recently had to sell an idea
to someone and said person could not for the love of all the oreos in the
world understand why I did not seem scared yet a lot was at stake. My
answer was simple, I had so much to gain and that is what gave me the cool
demeanor that I wore. The internet brings so much more to the table than I
could ever imagine. It is a perfect example of possibilities are endless
and only a click away, so how cool is that?
Of course because Mr. 1986 fought for our freedom everyone
is entitled to do as they please within certain limits of course and the
internet happens to be one of them. However, the next time you think you need
to take an internet break remember that the internet is on your side. Why would
you burn bridges that you don’t need to and that make life better, sweeter,
more efficient, to mention but a few? That thing they say about common sense
not being common, yeah that one!