Internet - for better or for worse?

[Gums]

Has the internet helped you as a person, or not? Lots of people abuse the net (myself included) and spend waaaaayyy too much time sitting at the computer, getting little accomplished. For some people, I guess, spending tons of time on UM and other places has helped them. For instance, I'm sure if you asked somebody that met their spouse or boyfriend/gf here, the good definitely outweighs the bad.. others suffer physically, socially, academically etc. as a result of excessive internet use.

How has the internet affected your life - for better or for worse?

 

[Erik]

Worse. All I do with my time is waste it. Then again I'm not sure what the fuck would happen to me if I was forced to live in the real world all the time.

 

[_Zsuzsa_]

Actually affected both...

Good because I get lots and lots of friends here, can help me in my school works and such.

Bad because most of the time I'm just wasting my day here UM is pretty useless If we think about it...

But I do not use internet 'cause I am a retarded or smthing or cause I dont have friends in real life.
My purpose with net is to practice english through chatting with foreigners, getting information from all over the world and having fun And when my real life's calling, I go

 

[mousewings]

Both for me as well.

Worse: It's messed up my spelling, as I spend a lot of time coding stuff and have forgotten basic spelling skills. I also am addicted to surfing graphics sites and don't talk to friends that much. :/ It takes up a lot of time and some boards are pointless places to go to (not here though). Also other things are disadvantages...

Good: I've gotten into new bands (David Gray, Sentenced, etc.). I've learned a lot and found important information. It also makes life easier as I can do stuff online.
Most importantly, despite everything bad, I've met some very good friends here and have learned about different cultures, making me more tolerant towards people.

 

[opacity]

so far, the good aspects outweigh the bad in my case.
one serious negative aspect is that you tend to stare into the screen and soon your eyes start getting dry cos you "forget" to blink

 

[Tebus]

And when my real life's calling, I go

What's a real life??


Yeah the goods and bads are basically the same for me. There are lots of really cool people on here that are good to talk to in many ways. It's a great way to get help with psychological issues, or hearing about the many bands I've never heard before.

The ONLY doewnside is that I should probably spend less time on here.

But it's a good time, and it's had by all.

 

[FatherVic]

totaly and amazingly GOOD for me...
Actually I wouldn;t be able to explain how much has internet affected my life in the good way...and actually I can't think ONE fact that has made my life a misery...

Since I'm not going to make a whole essay on "The possitivenes of the net unless you're a fish" I will just point out some facts that make internet the best tool in my life at the moment...

- Led me to know what is now the most important person of my life and even if it sounds insane, to start a family with her...

- According to the above mentioned, it led me to switch country from Spain to Greece for that person.

- Led me to know great great great friends, many who i actually know in real life and helped me to keep contact to most of my recent friends. Probably if I had internet when I was in the first years of Highschool i would still be in contact with many more friends from back then.

- Help's me to comunicate with my family now that I'm away from home...

- Help's me to follow my degree at the University and helped me to keep a steady way of studying in order to take my degree...

- Helped me to selfteach webdesigning and for two years work from home as a webdeveloper...

- Gave me the possibility to buy stuff that I wouldn't be able to buy in none of the places I've lived in recently...

- Gave me more hours of entertainment (as a source) than not even books and tv have achieved too...

from bad things....I can just think of a LotR Risk game that I bought on ebay, I paid and I haven't received it yet...

fathervic (who will never thank enough the net)

 

[Naku ist krig]

zsussa is speaking my words too.

btw, my little mousie (of comp)hs gone mad.. virus?
.. i don´t care.

 

[mousewings]

btw, my little mousie (of comp)hs gone mad.. virus?
.. i don´t care.

Only the mouse? If so, it might be the mechanisms being dirty. Open the underside of the mouse and clean it.

 

[Naku ist krig]

nah. I it isn´t dirty, I am occasionaly . Now it doesn´t act like an insane eh.. mouse.

 

[Gums]

Actually affected both...

The good outweighs the bad, and the bad outweighs the good?

For me, even though it was dandy way back in the day, within the last few years I would say Worse! A lot of good has come from it of course, but I waste way too much time on here

 

[Incendiare]

I'm on the internet for the "wrong" reasons (ie boards, music) and hardly ever use it for research.

But still, if it wasn't for the internet, I wouldn't have discovered a mere fraction of the bands I listen, ecpecially regarding underground metal.

It's also great entertainment, taking I never watch TV or anything.

 

[Tristessa]

Better, but (and there's always a but) it reduces my time.

 

[Thanatos]

 

[Caelestia]

it's funny... my parents got me an internet ac to make up for something. they told me i could travel with my friend (alone at 14) but then they changed their minds. at the time, i was devastated but looking back, i'm happy it happened.

if it weren't for the internet, i wouldn't have met some of the best friends i've ever had. some people might think that's sad. screw that. lots of these people have kept me sane and proven they genuinely care about me. i'm finally going to meet my best friend after 6 years.

without the internet, i would have taken up some other course at university. most likely accountancy (

). i doubt if i'd have ventured into metal so i may have turned into some horrible techno raver bunny

who knows? i might be happier, maybe not. i can't blame the internet for my lack of a social life. it's not like i can't get off my arse and do something about it

 

[rahvin]

that's right, caelestia, you're definitely not too young to travel alone with your friends
*paints fake clouds and mountains outside caelestia's window*

i like the internet. it's given me a lot of opportunities and increased my knowledge about the world. a lot of people i care for i met through the net. yes, it does alienate you when you abuse it, but what doesn't?
right now i'm more or less forced to abuse it due to work and stuff, but i don't complain, it could be much worse.

rahvin.

 

[Steve]

bad: wastes a lot of my time, prevents me from getting work done, and much more.

good: I have nothing to do for some time each day and it gives me something to do. I also have something to do when I'm bored any time. And If not for it, I wouldn't be listening to anything harder than Deep Purple...

Steve

 

[Incendiare]

if it weren't for the internet, i wouldn't have met some of the best friends i've ever had. some people might think that's sad. screw that. lots of these people have kept me sane and proven they genuinely care about me. i'm finally going to meet my best friend after 6 years.

I hear that. Seems like the people who I relate to the best are also my internet friends. A person has a more diverse choice when it comes to discussions and interests, whereas having to depend on the people around you in the physical world doesn't always work out. There is no one in my town who listen to metal, or even knows what underground metal is. Without this message board, I'd be talking to a wall.

 

[Caelestia]

jayzus, aren't you even n00ber than me? look at your post count! !

 

[The Grand Wazoo]

Internet is great for chatting!

......If anyone is online. 0/135!! Sheesus... One would think there's always someone online..