The majority of people on the planet love to spend a considerable amount of time online. According to research, we spend an average of 6 hours and 42 minutes online each day. The question is; is this a good or a bad thing?
Does this mean that we are neglecting other aspects of life? For instance, when someone in Finland plays at a pika kasinot (instant casino in Finnish), or an American plays Fortnite with friends, would they be better off doing something offline instead? The answer is not a simple one. While it’s not good to spend huge amounts of time online, there are many positive aspects to the online world and it’s not all about gaming. Let’s start by looking at these positives.
Awareness of what is happening in the world
There was a time when reading a newspaper, or watching the TV news, was the best way to find out what was going on in the world. However, the Internet is now the most accessible place to find current news items.
It’s an excellent way to keep in touch with world affairs. However, you should always rely on unbiased resources. It’s also a good idea to fact check stories so that you can make sure they are correct.
Building a network
The Internet is a great place to develop business contacts, on social media sites like LinkedIn. Building networks in this way helps entrepreneurs to increase their chances of success.
The Internet can also be used to create and maintain personal networks. For instance, many old school friends and ex-colleagues use social media to reconnect. Obviously, it’s important for people to always make sure that they know who they are speaking to so that they stay safe.
Learning new things
It’s always good to learn something new, and the Internet is a great place to do it. For instance, sites like Duolingo and Babbel give people the opportunity to learn a new language.
There is an opportunity to turn to learn into an activity for the whole family. For example, everyone could take online art classes.
Exploring the world without leaving home
Places on the other side of the world have never seemed closer than they do today. This is due to travel websites, social media, and other websites like National Geographic.
It takes just a few minutes to explore a country online. Then, if people like what they see, they can book a trip there, in an equally short space of time.
Dealing with the negatives of spending time online
There is no doubt that time spent online can be positive. However, there are also potentially negative consequences. Here some of these consequences and what can be done to stop them from happening.
A negative impact on relationships
The Internet, and social media in particular, can cause problems between people. Something as simple as “liking” something that your friend or partner does not agree with can lead to a lot of trouble.
In order to stop things like this from happening, it’s important to stop seeing social media as the real world but still be considerate of other users. It’s also a good idea to limit the time spent on social media to no more than 30 minutes each day.
Mental health issues
There is a lot of content online, and not all of it makes us feel good. It’s very easy for someone to start feeling bad when they see their ex with a new partner on social media or when they are bombarded with images of “perfect” celebrities that make them feel “ugly” or “fat”.
These negative feelings can have a serious effect on mental health. In order to make this less likely, people need to realize that “perfect” images are often altered and that often the Internet does not reflect the real world. It’s also a good idea for people to go offline completely for a while, every so often; or at the very least take a break from social media.
No time for other activities
When being online leaves no time for anything else, it’s time to take action. Everyone needs to make time to do other things like reading a book, going for a walk or going for a meal with friends.
Always remember that time spent online should be enjoyable and that the Internet should never take over your life.
