Do you suffer from internet fatigue? - GoFuckYourself.com

JP513 · 06-10-2009, 11:52 AM

(http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/06/...gue/index.html)
By John D. Sutter
CNN

(CNN) -- Do you ever get sick of your phone ringing? What about Facebook fatigue? Does Twitter sometimes give you stress headaches, making you occasionally wish you could just yank the plug on your online life?
Do you get nervous when your smart phone rings? A report says you're not alone.

Do you get nervous when your smart phone rings? A report says you're not alone.

Well, you're not alone, according to a recent report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, a nonprofit research group in Washington.

The report, written by John Horrigan, the project's associate director of research, says 7 percent of Americans use the Internet as their primary means of social communication and also feel conflicted about that fact. These online social network users, which Horrigan calls "ambivalent networkers," are so connected they feel like they can't quit.

But Horrigan, who counts himself among this group, says there is hope for these conflicted techies.Take a quiz to find out what kind of tech user you are

"I do think it's a matter of society and individuals in society understanding these tools. So tools can be used for good and tools can be used for ill as well. They can have negative impacts," he said.

CNN spoke with Horrigan by phone about the various ways people are using cell phones and the Internet today, including the 14 percent of people who use neither. The following is an edited version of that conversation:

CNN: Tell me about the report.

Horrigan: We recently produced a report called "The Mobile Difference," which places American adults into 10 different user types, depending on how they feel about information technology, what kind of information technology they have in their lives and how they use information technology in their lives.

CNN: You give the names for these categories some fun titles. Tell me more about what we know about these groups of people.

Horrigan: The most high-tech group we labeled the "digital collaborators." The digital collaborators are the ones with the most technology, doing the most with it and loving it the most, and really are about not just using technology to communicate with others but to cultivate their creative lives.

Another is the "ambivalent networkers," which is a fun group in that they're the youngest of any group ... they're the most active in using mobile devices for a range of different purposes, yet, at the same time they express fairly high levels of concern about always being available to others.

CNN: I find that group interesting. What's behind that conflicted sentiment?

Horrigan: There's a sense that it might be costly for them not to be on the network. So if you think of that group of "ambivalent networkers" as being a youthful group, all of whom have cell phones, probably the very majority of their social networks are online.

They're always texting or communicating or e-mailing to keep in touch and make plans. So if you're in a social milieu like that and you want a break, you may feel like going off the grid would be a bad thing, because you won't know what your friends are up to, you won't know what the plan is for Saturday evening, or you might worry that your friends will be worried if you're not instantly responsive to their queries.

CNN: Do you have a sense whether those negative feelings are a growing trend, or if people are becoming more mobile and on the whole are liking it?

Horrigan: What I think the message is with all these new tools -- Twitter, for instance -- is that Twitter is a great way to put yourself out there. It also could be a tool for managing your connectivity.

You might start to use your Facebook page or your Twitter account as a means to say, "Hey guys, I'm shutting down for a while, so don't worry about me if I don't respond to you immediately."

So I think a challenge for people going forward is to see these tools as tools, meaning you can use them to identify yourself as being offline at a particular moment, and not see them as perpetual obligations to be available at all times to all people.

CNN: Have you heard of any interesting ways people might be dealing with that?

Horrigan: I think it's fairly well known in the tech community that traffic for blogs and so-forth dives on the weekends, so I think people tend to use the weekends as a way to take a little bit of a breather.

CNN: The people who are off the network entirely, do you have a sense if that population is growing, or if those people will eventually end up on the network?

Horrigan: The off-network share of Americans was approximately the same in 2008 as it was in 2006, when we looked at it before.

I think that will shrink over time as people become more dependent on the cell phone, which we do see as a rising trend. People who are off the network tend to be older and lower income. I think as time marches on you'll see technology that's tailored more towards older Americans. So we can expect that [group] to shrink over time, but maybe not at a tremendously rapid rate.

CNN: If you were to pick one of these groups, which would you fall into?

Horrigan: I took the test and I was an "ambivalent networker." I answered on the quiz that I sometimes don't get all too charged up when that cell phone rings or vibrates. So I'm someone who does like to have a bit of a break from the Internet from time to time or with cell phone availability. And I kind of struggle with that occasionally.

CNN: How do you handle that?

Horrigan: It's a matter of self-discipline: turning the cell phone off from time to time and spending, when I can, part of the workday not in front of the computer.

Carmine Raguso · 06-10-2009, 11:54 AM

I get beat off fatigue. That is fatigue from pulling my fuck meat nonstop all day if you didn't know.

xNetworx · 06-10-2009, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carmine Raguso

I get beat off fatigue. That is fatigue from pulling my fuck meat nonstop all day if you didn't know.

JP513 · 06-10-2009, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carmine Raguso

I get beat off fatigue. That is fatigue from pulling my fuck meat nonstop all day if you didn't know.

Me too!

wyldblyss · 06-10-2009, 07:15 PM

Actually enjoyed reading it thanks for posting it. I think we all burn out. We are bombarded every waking moment. I fight it by forcing myself off the grid for a few hours a week. We will take the boat out to the middle of the lake and just veg a while.

Vitasoy · 06-10-2009, 08:22 PM

I can somewhat relate to it

erotismo · 06-10-2009, 11:55 PM

Sometimes you just have to unplugg yourself and go sit in a garden in the sun

96ukssob · 06-11-2009, 12:00 AM

the interwebs do get tiring sometimes

CarlosTheGaucho · 06-11-2009, 03:03 AM

I spend and defend my time without being online every day.

Nothing more refreshing.

alias · 06-11-2009, 03:17 AM

Does anyone here actually follow the common advice to take frequent breaks? Sometimes I forget to do so, it can make you feel anxious IMO.

Manowar · 06-11-2009, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carmine Raguso

I get beat off fatigue. That is fatigue from pulling my fuck meat nonstop all day if you didn't know.

seeandsee · 06-11-2009, 03:22 AM

yes ye syes yes yes

voa · 06-11-2009, 04:32 AM

Nope i dont feel like that.Not that much emotion in my online life

mikeyddddd · 06-11-2009, 04:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JP513

Do you suffer from internet fatigue?

NO

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carmine Raguso

I get beat off fatigue. That is fatigue from pulling my fuck meat nonstop all day if you didn't know.

Choopa Phil · 06-11-2009, 04:55 AM

internet fatigue, aka OCD with social networking and mobile devices. aka drama lol

alias · 06-11-2009, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeyddddd

NO

DWB · 06-11-2009, 05:53 AM

Go to sleep JP.

JP513 · 06-12-2009, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DirtyWhiteBoy

Go to sleep JP.

I'm in a different time zone, DWB. It was posted in the afternoon.

fallenmuffin · 06-12-2009, 03:06 PM

Indeed. It happens to me a lot. But more often with working on projects/sites. I just get burned out and one small idea leads to a bigger idea. I glance at the time and panic attacks set in and nothing usually gets done.

2012 · 06-12-2009, 04:01 PM

I like to unwind by the sink after too much internets ...

Supz · 06-12-2009, 04:17 PM

i get thread fatigue. if the post is more then 5 lines i get tired of reading it.

jmcb420 · 06-12-2009, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyldblyss

Actually enjoyed reading it thanks for posting it. I think we all burn out. We are bombarded every waking moment. I fight it by forcing myself off the grid for a few hours a week. We will take the boat out to the middle of the lake and just veg a while.

I thought it was a good read too.

Recently I had to take a good long break for a number of reasons, internet fatigue would be a good name for one of them. Sometimes you get to a point where one more screen or keyclick is going to drive you nuts. Been there done that.

Thanks for the post, JP

06-10-2009, 11:52 AM	#1
JP513 Confirmed User Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: The Republic of Barebackistan Posts: 1,914	Do you suffer from internet fatigue? (http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/06/...gue/index.html) By John D. Sutter CNN (CNN) -- Do you ever get sick of your phone ringing? What about Facebook fatigue? Does Twitter sometimes give you stress headaches, making you occasionally wish you could just yank the plug on your online life? Do you get nervous when your smart phone rings? A report says you're not alone. Do you get nervous when your smart phone rings? A report says you're not alone. Well, you're not alone, according to a recent report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, a nonprofit research group in Washington. The report, written by John Horrigan, the project's associate director of research, says 7 percent of Americans use the Internet as their primary means of social communication and also feel conflicted about that fact. These online social network users, which Horrigan calls "ambivalent networkers," are so connected they feel like they can't quit. But Horrigan, who counts himself among this group, says there is hope for these conflicted techies.Take a quiz to find out what kind of tech user you are "I do think it's a matter of society and individuals in society understanding these tools. So tools can be used for good and tools can be used for ill as well. They can have negative impacts," he said. CNN spoke with Horrigan by phone about the various ways people are using cell phones and the Internet today, including the 14 percent of people who use neither. The following is an edited version of that conversation: CNN: Tell me about the report. Horrigan: We recently produced a report called "The Mobile Difference," which places American adults into 10 different user types, depending on how they feel about information technology, what kind of information technology they have in their lives and how they use information technology in their lives. CNN: You give the names for these categories some fun titles. Tell me more about what we know about these groups of people. Horrigan: The most high-tech group we labeled the "digital collaborators." The digital collaborators are the ones with the most technology, doing the most with it and loving it the most, and really are about not just using technology to communicate with others but to cultivate their creative lives. Another is the "ambivalent networkers," which is a fun group in that they're the youngest of any group ... they're the most active in using mobile devices for a range of different purposes, yet, at the same time they express fairly high levels of concern about always being available to others. CNN: I find that group interesting. What's behind that conflicted sentiment? Horrigan: There's a sense that it might be costly for them not to be on the network. So if you think of that group of "ambivalent networkers" as being a youthful group, all of whom have cell phones, probably the very majority of their social networks are online. They're always texting or communicating or e-mailing to keep in touch and make plans. So if you're in a social milieu like that and you want a break, you may feel like going off the grid would be a bad thing, because you won't know what your friends are up to, you won't know what the plan is for Saturday evening, or you might worry that your friends will be worried if you're not instantly responsive to their queries. CNN: Do you have a sense whether those negative feelings are a growing trend, or if people are becoming more mobile and on the whole are liking it? Horrigan: What I think the message is with all these new tools -- Twitter, for instance -- is that Twitter is a great way to put yourself out there. It also could be a tool for managing your connectivity. You might start to use your Facebook page or your Twitter account as a means to say, "Hey guys, I'm shutting down for a while, so don't worry about me if I don't respond to you immediately." So I think a challenge for people going forward is to see these tools as tools, meaning you can use them to identify yourself as being offline at a particular moment, and not see them as perpetual obligations to be available at all times to all people. CNN: Have you heard of any interesting ways people might be dealing with that? Horrigan: I think it's fairly well known in the tech community that traffic for blogs and so-forth dives on the weekends, so I think people tend to use the weekends as a way to take a little bit of a breather. CNN: The people who are off the network entirely, do you have a sense if that population is growing, or if those people will eventually end up on the network? Horrigan: The off-network share of Americans was approximately the same in 2008 as it was in 2006, when we looked at it before. I think that will shrink over time as people become more dependent on the cell phone, which we do see as a rising trend. People who are off the network tend to be older and lower income. I think as time marches on you'll see technology that's tailored more towards older Americans. So we can expect that [group] to shrink over time, but maybe not at a tremendously rapid rate. CNN: If you were to pick one of these groups, which would you fall into? Horrigan: I took the test and I was an "ambivalent networker." I answered on the quiz that I sometimes don't get all too charged up when that cell phone rings or vibrates. So I'm someone who does like to have a bit of a break from the Internet from time to time or with cell phone availability. And I kind of struggle with that occasionally. CNN: How do you handle that? Horrigan: It's a matter of self-discipline: turning the cell phone off from time to time and spending, when I can, part of the workday not in front of the computer.

06-10-2009, 08:22 PM	#6
Vitasoy GFY HALL OF FAME DAMMIT!!! Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 58,202	I can somewhat relate to it __________________ [email protected]

06-11-2009, 12:00 AM	#8
96ukssob So Fucking Banananananas Industry Role: Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: If I was in your ass you'd know it Posts: 12,991	the interwebs do get tiring sometimes __________________ Email: Clicky on Me

06-11-2009, 03:03 AM	#9
CarlosTheGaucho Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 9,512	I spend and defend my time without being online every day. Nothing more refreshing. __________________ CTG Media \| skype: carlosprague \| cb \|at\| ctgmedia \|dot\| net \| Want to make more with your Dating Traffic? \| Read My Educational Series \| Read my Adult Biz Chronicles \| Did your ad revenue drop by 40 pct. or more last year?

06-11-2009, 03:17 AM	#10
alias aliasx Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 19,010	Does anyone here actually follow the common advice to take frequent breaks? Sometimes I forget to do so, it can make you feel anxious IMO. __________________ https://porncorporation.com

06-10-2009, 11:54 AM	#2
Carmine Raguso So Fucking Banned Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Prescott, AZ Posts: 2,158	I get beat off fatigue. That is fatigue from pulling my fuck meat nonstop all day if you didn't know.

06-10-2009, 07:15 PM	#5
wyldblyss Confirmed User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The Buck Starts Here Posts: 5,779	Actually enjoyed reading it thanks for posting it. I think we all burn out. We are bombarded every waking moment. I fight it by forcing myself off the grid for a few hours a week. We will take the boat out to the middle of the lake and just veg a while.

06-10-2009, 11:55 PM	#7
erotismo Confirmed User Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 140	Sometimes you just have to unplugg yourself and go sit in a garden in the sun

06-11-2009, 03:22 AM	#12
seeandsee Check SIG! Industry Role: Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Europe (Skype: gojkoas) Posts: 50,945	yes ye syes yes yes __________________ BUY MY SIG - 50$/Year Contact here

06-11-2009, 04:32 AM	#13
voa Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 16,532	Nope i dont feel like that.Not that much emotion in my online life

06-11-2009, 04:55 AM	#15
Choopa Phil Confirmed User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 3,965	internet fatigue, aka OCD with social networking and mobile devices. aka drama lol __________________ AIM - Choopa Phil Email - [email protected] A World Wide Leader In Hosting! * CHOOPA.COM *

06-11-2009, 05:53 AM	#17
DWB Registered User Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Encrypted. Access denied. Posts: 31,779	Go to sleep JP.

06-12-2009, 03:06 PM	#19
fallenmuffin Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 8,170	Indeed. It happens to me a lot. But more often with working on projects/sites. I just get burned out and one small idea leads to a bigger idea. I glance at the time and panic attacks set in and nothing usually gets done.

06-12-2009, 04:01 PM	#20
2012 So Fucking What Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 17,189	I like to unwind by the sink after too much internets ... __________________ best host: Webair \| best sponsor: Kink \| best coder: 688218966 \| Go Fuck Yourself

06-12-2009, 04:17 PM	#21
Supz Arthur Flegenheimer Industry Role: Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: New York City Posts: 11,056	i get thread fatigue. if the post is more then 5 lines i get tired of reading it.