Getting my hands dirty

As with any change in life, we all look for hope in the future. So, the question I need to answer is, “What will the next phase of my relationship to the Internet be?” The way I see it, there are two levels in this relationship that need to be addressed: the physical (sensations of the body) and the mental (perceptions of the mind). Addressing these issues should, in turn, help me cope with the reality that feeling nothing IS something.

Sensations of the body. The simple solution here is to make an attempt to listen to my body when I am using the Internet. If my brain starts throbbing, I should take a break or “unplug” for the day. If my shoulders are tense, I should roll my neck or stretch my back. If my eyes are dry and tired, I should break out the eye drops or adjust the brightness of my screen.

To take this discussion out of context for a moment, consider the idea of exercise. I don’t actually enjoy the sweat-drenched, body-aching, “waste” of energy that is exercising; however, in the scope of a larger perspective, I exercise because it is helpful, productive and healthy for me to stay attuned to my physical fitness. In the same respect, I’ve made it clear that I don’t actually enjoy the physical nature of using the Internet; however, I use it because it is an undeniably vast source of information at my fingertips. I guess I have to learn to deal with my bodily discomfort in light of the benefits that the Internet can provide.

Perceptions of the mind. I’ve covered a lot of ground when it comes to my mental attitude toward the Internet. I suppose I’ll just dig right in…

CONCLUSION #1: A non-place (the Internet) is, nonetheless, a place. I may prefer to be sitting in a coffee shop, cup hooked in the crook between thumb and forefinger, people watching to the last sip—but this preference does not negate the reality that the Internet is just as much a meeting spot as the coffee shop on the corner. Rather than fight my preference for place, I should try to bring the Internet closer to my ideal. This might mean having a cup of coffee while I email or play my daily Scrabble games. Either way, I need to acknowledge the fact that no matter where I am, in “reality” or in cyberspace, I am still somewhere.

CONCLUSION #2: The Internet is simply life without its’ in-your-face distractions. I feel as though this perception might be the easiest for me to reconcile. Each day, it seems, is a long process of losing time between waking up and going to bed. If I begin to utilize the Internet as my “blindfold” or “ear plugs,” I can bypass the distractions of problems that seem unsolvable. [Need information, but can’t go to the library? Need an answer, but can’t get through on the phone?] The Internet possesses the capability of filtering out these distractions without having to completely avoid life itself.

CONCLUSION #3: Though sometimes impersonal (on a smaller level), (on a larger level), the Internet provides a huge potential for human interaction. There are countless friends and family members who I can’t see on a regular basis—and, I can only stand so much time with my cell phone attached to my head—and the Internet provides me with a porthole through which those folks are always right next door. Whether it’s an e-greeting card for my mom’s birthday, an instant message from a friend across campus or a silly web site forwarded to my office mate sitting directly behind me, the Internet gives me the immediate satisfaction of connecting with people regardless of location.

I think it’s time to really get my hands dirty. I can sit here and bitch and moan about the big, bad monster called cyberspace; or, I can suck it up and move on to the “next iteration” of my relationship with the Internet. I know I prefer other forms of communication, sources of information and methods of connection, but the Internet is here to stay.

“Hello Internet. My name is Chelsea. Let’s start over…”