Internet: Dangerous Tool

My awesome friend Jill is starting a blog. It is here .

So I have decided to perhaps try to blog occasionally again. I hate that word, blog. There is just no way for it to not come across as narcissistic. I'd call them "blags" but someone already came up with that.

I'm writing because I want to make a list of the goods and bads of certain technological happenings--specifically, the internet.

How has the internet benefited my life:
1. Got in touch (through facebook) with many old friends. Some just for a quick message (a childhood friend from five years old, etc.), some turned into a biyearly reunion! (gymnastics girls of course.) without the internet i wouldn't have reconnected with them, most likey.
2. Enabled me to get information on living plastic-free. Specifically through EnviroWoman (link to the right, although she doesn't update anymore). Without this I probably would have gone on thinking it was impossible to live without plastic. Because of a simple google search combined with a slow-enough job to read through every Enviro-woman archived post, I would say I'm now 90% plastic-free.
3. Nutrition information. Keeps me healthy.
4. Less paper use. I would probably need a phone book and many, many more maps if I didn't have the internet. Plus every email would become snailmail? I guess? And that would be a lot of paper.

How the internet has hindered me:
1. I can't seem to have a nice morning. As soon as I'm awake I'm checking email and reading the NYT online, and reading webcomics. I would really, really like to develop the self-discipline to save it for later, but this habit is very hard to break. I can picture a relaxed morning with tea and quiet contemplation, etc etc etc. But I cannot seem to make it happen. This bothers me greatly.
2. Bad things on the internet. Bad things which stick in my brain. For instance, the "ugliest dog" contest winner. That terrible "speech" by Miss Whatever Pageant on "the Iraq." Clips of Glenn Beck. Clips of Bill O'Reilly. Youtube video of bad things happening to animals which people think are funny. Babycakes.
3. Plays into my neuroticisms with pop-up reminders. Plays into my vulnerabilities with weight-loss ads. Plays into my weaknesses with feel-good abc family shows on hulu.
4. Although I claim some responsibility, the internet also has a big part to play in the credit card scam of three weeks ago. I do not mourn the loss of the 87 bucks so much as my dignity.

Have I learned anything here? Not really. Except for that I really can't blame the internet for my own shortcomings, which I have just obviously tried to do. Just because something exists doesn't mean you should let it play on your lesser-half. Better-half, INITIATE BETTER LIFE SEQUENCE!