Stress is one of the big factors in working and living in the 21st century.
So why have we started using the internet to increase our stress, rather than using it to make life easier?
I took a day off from the internet last week. It was a conscious decision to take a break and rest, and I ended the day feeling reinvigorated, and with some interesting ideas and topics to discuss here.
So why has it taken five days since then to post on the blog?
Net Stress.
Obviously before I could do anything I needed to check Facebook and my email for new messages. Then I needed to update Twitter. And catch up on the popular blogs via RSS. And then I remembered I’d started a Shelfari profile and hadn’t filled it in. And then there were more Facebook messages. And some people IM’d me on MSN. And then there were more emails.
And just the same as taking a holiday from the day job, spending 24 hours away from the next has left me more stressed than before I took a rest. And it’s all self-inflicted.
Should I be worried about internet addiction?