How long could you go without the Internet?

[ZephyrSamba]

Yahoo and OMD have just put out the results of a study wherein 13 American families agreed (for $725 - $950 per family!) to give up the internet for two weeks...When I first read the USA Today article (http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2004-09-21-internet-usat_x.htm) on it I sort of rolled my eyes -- I mean, a study funded by -Yahoo- and a major internet advertising company, making the shocking discovery that people just CAN'T do without the internet? Gosh, who ever would've suspected?? But reading a longer report of the study (http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/040922/225261_1.html), it actually is interesting to hear how some of the subjects were displaying actual withdrawal symptoms -- and you know, I think -I'd- be awfully edgy without the constant information flow you can get off the net, too -- how could ANYBODY get by without constant and instant access to such things as directions to The World's Ugliest Statue of Lincoln (http://www.roadsideamerica.com/cheese/che7.html), information on the true shelf life of Twinkies (http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/twinkies.htm), or translations for "I can eat glass" (http://www.geocities.com/nodotus/hbglass.html) in everything from Spanish to Yiddish to Klingon? Yea, truly do we live in an age of wonders...

Anyway, the study also mentions that half of the people they'd polled said they couldn't do without the internet for more than 2 days at a time -- and come to think of it I can't even -remember- the last time I went more than 48 hours without -some- sort of online activity, can you? Even when I was down south visiting family last week I found myself getting up at 4-5am just to have some time online before going out and doing stuff with my family -- and to say that I am NOT a morning person would be putting it mildly!

So how long have -you- gone without the internet lately? How long do you think you -could- go? I'm sure for $725 I could somehow manage that two week stretch, but man, it sure wouldn't be pretty...

[Roman Legion]

Put it this way...

If I tried to go two weeks without the internet during most of the year, I'd fail all my classes, and I would later be killed by an angry mob of lab and project partners. :p Unfortunately, my academic and professional life are both tied to being online. For a lot of people, being without the internet is far worse than being simultaneously cut off from libraries, phonelines, and tv. The net is a day-to-day necessity.

On the other hand, whenever I have had no need to be online, I've been able to abstain for weeks at a time with no problem. I have, on occassion, even had to drag myself back. Lack of internet can be liberating in some ways.

--Romey

[Phantasm]

I CANNOT live without it! It's as simple as that...it's like...I'm addicted...there's this need in me to come on line...:shrug: :p

[Bubblegum Girl]

The longest I've last without the internet was two days and it was becuase there was a blackout n' stuff.

[Shnay]

I'd imagine I could go any amount of time without the Internet. It would make research much harder, and I'd miss the social connections enjoyed on sites like this, but it's not something I can't live without.

I use the Internet a great deal, but I could always adapt to life without it. And I have, for various periods of time over the years.

[ZephyrSamba]

Unfortunately, my academic and professional life are both tied to being online. For a lot of people, being without the internet is far worse than being simultaneously cut off from libraries, phonelines, and tv. The net is a day-to-day necessity.
Hmm, that's a good point, DarkWarner -- I was initially thinking about "being without the net" in terms of my personal life, but come to think of it work really -would- be an impossibility for a lot of people without it -- me, I've continuously been working on teams where at -least- 2-3 members were based in another state or even country for well over a year now; I dunno how we'd get anything done without email, central document repositories, and IM (although I must say, it's kind of fun working with people you've never seen; I invariably imagine them with lizard tails or buggy alien eyes or furry paws -- my coworkers are a whole lot more interesting when I never get to meet them!)

But if you throw work into the mix, maybe I couldn't do that 2 weeks sans internet, after all...

[purplehairedwonder]

I could not go two weeks without the internet. I use it a ton for school related things; but even taking school related things from the mix, I still would go nuts without the net. I find it a release of sorts, where I can just look at random things and talk to my best friends who live across the country, get weight loss support, etc... I'm totally addicted to the internet... I'm phw and I'm an internet-aholic:p

[True Noir]

This summer I'm going to have to possibly go about 1.5 months without the internet and anime, because I'm going to Asia. Hopefully, my grandparents have a computer...

[ToOn~g@l]

probably about two or three days, I have to check my email every day because I get a lot of junk and fun morning news stuff. But last January I almost went a month without a computer because my grandparents don't have one. Needless to say I came home and found about 150 new messages.
Plus when you are away from Toon zone for a few days, you miss a lot.

[Xfox]

About three summers ago, I was without internet for a week and a half when I was on my vacation in California. I definitely felt the itch to get back online, but I never felt like I was in withdrawal. Most of the time online for me is spent on forums anyway. E-mail isn't a big deal either. I only regularly get e-mail from two people- my friend Dave and my sister. And I could always pick up the phone to call either one.

[The Detective]

The longest I've gone without it recently is two weeks when I was on vacation. I sure didn't have any problems, no withdrawel symptoms or anything of the like. That said, given the choice I get on the net every day and I'm hardly doing anything important. Though for $700 bucks I'd give up the net for a month.

[tucsoncoyote]

It's funny that people are asking this question now.. considering it is an age of Computer Hackers, Computer Viruses, and of Course Cyber-Terrorists.. could folks live without the Internet? I mean here is something to consider.....

I personally would be able to last without the net.. sure I couldn't get the cool stuff to play with for My Trainz Program and My Roommate wouldn't be able to do "Very Realistic Flight simming" (With Weather)

but we would survive..

also here is another thing to ponder... and this goes out to the hackers who want to try and Bring Down the Internet...

Go ahead and Try .. if you do succeed... You just put yourself out of a job.. and in fact you probably ticked off a Lot of other hackers.. Don't you feel good? Yeah I bet you do.. Cause you launched a Commerce And Marketing virus that not only took out the Internet, but has Shut down computer world wide, and in fact has set humanity back about 20 years.. (no big deal if you don't mind doing other things.. (Oh wait Mr Hacker, you forget, the thing you love to do is try and Bring down the Internet.. well sorry you only get one Crack at it, and in the end.. you still lose..

so my point is this.. sure I would miss the internet.. but is it really necessary? No.. I'll just Write my Letters To whoever I want with a Pen and Paper.. is that so hard?

Guess not..

That's really all I have to say.

:coyote:

[Sandoz]

I can go a week without the internet...after that I start to miss it.

[PaQ]

Hmm.. Comfortably? .. I probably couldn't go more than a week. I did that back in March when my computer decided to die on me. It just limited the things I could do with my day. Not talk to people I've become friends with, heck even most of the friends I see everyday I talk to online.. So it definitely hampered my communications for a week. I guess I just utilize the computer and the internet so much that any prolonged time would make me change how I go about things..

[Joe Mama]

Omg11111 For That Money I'd Stay Off For Two Months111

[chevy citation]

I've gone 3 months without TV, and didn't miss it. I'm sure I'd be ok without the internet for that long too.

[SSJPabs]

Interesting idea. I'm not sure.

I don't watch TV or read newspapers anymore, I read newsites online both for newspapers, tv, etc. so I get nearly 100% from online sources. Also, its my main method of communication with friends - much easier and more likely to reach me for me to say "IM me, or e-mail me" than for them to call my cellphone. Otherwise I'm not sure it would be a huge problem

[Czar Gato]

I've had to go months without the Internet in the past. Usually the first few weeks are torture ("Aah, I can't check my e-mail! Oh no, I didn't get to tell my friends why I'm not online anymore! What if I'm assigned a research project and I need the 'net? I'm doomed!").

But then it's not so bad. You actually start to realize how much of the world passes you by when you are cooped up in front of your computer moniter all day.

[Master Moron]

I can go a long time as long as I have other things to keep me occupied. I've gone several months without it before.

[Elven Moon]

I can't go more than a few days before I start to feel it. I mean, I get most of my stuff from the internet, I have friends I talk to, I wouldn't be able to update my online journal OR run my internet business! Plus there are so many shops I can buy stuff from that I wouldn't be able to find unless I pumped out several hundred dollars for a flight to Japan!

[Beguiled]

five minutes. if it were gone i'd last five minutes and then it'd probably drive me insane.

angel.

(well not really but it would certainly annoy me if i couldn't go online.)

[Rini]

What a silly little person you are Angel. I could go about a month or longer. I haven't been as addictive to the internet as I used to be. I'm glad I broke the habbit. But I do love being online.

[Haruhara]

i can definately live without internet, i mean, i DO have other things in life to take care of. *school, work, friends, family*

[True Noir]

I've gone 3 months without TV, and didn't miss it. I'm sure I'd be ok without the internet for that long too.
Four Months for me and I lived.

[Lucky Bob]

I've done about five months, before.

Not sure how I'd do now.

[Caffeine King]

I went mostly the whole summer without a computer when I was up in Boston visiting relatives, being able to use one only when I went to visit a friend or relative with a computer, and if they did have one I usually didn't use it because it was a priority at that time. :)

I wish I could get $750-$950 for ditching thecomputer for two weeks...that'd be simple! :sad: :shrug:

[Cartman]

I have gone for a week without using the Internet, but only becasue I didn't have access to a computer. As far as going without the 'net voluntarily, well probably at most half a day.

[Fieryone]

I usually make it a point to only come on every couple days. Other than e-mail I could probably go a couple weeks with out it.

[Punisher]

For money, I could go a year without the internet if you exclude school purposes. I don't e-mail or instant message anybody(I would if I didn't have a little problem with my computer so that it won't let get on to compuserve without a password that i never knew. I have internet explorer, which explains why I'm on now). I don't have many friends to begin with to talk to, so no big loss.

[Pilmedium]

During a trip in August, I was without the internet, or even a computer, for one week. I did not think much about it because I slept too much and my mind was very busy with one emotion. I think that, if I wanted to, I could go about a month without using the internet, because I expect a research report to be assigned then. It would be difficult and probably problematic for me to spend so much time without offline activities on a computer, because I get in trouble when actually bored.