Plugged in

How much of the day are you plugged in? Do you consciously set aside offline time, or does it happen whenever it happens?

Between work, blogging, social media, online communities, and browsing the web on either one of my two computers (work and personal), iPhone, or iPad, the answer is: pretty darn near most of it. Right from the time I wake up and reach for my iPhone to turn off the alarm, to the moment I (often reluctantly) shut everything down in order to get some sleep, I’m connected to the internet in some way, shape, or form for the vast majority of my waking hours. (I think it would be a whole lot easier to answer the question from the perspective of how much of the day I am NOT plugged in!)

And you know what? I love it.

I’ve never felt the need to step back and unplug, to take an internet break, to go off the grid… because my internet connectedness is an integral and much-beloved feature of my day-to-day life. I’d even venture to say that being plugged in is an extension of who I am, a part of how I define myself.

Because I love the internet! The internet is a place to connect with friends and family from around the world who I might not otherwise have the opportunity to see. The internet enables me to work from home, even though my employer is in another part of the country. The internet offers entertainment, information, community. The internet is where I express myself, and learn from others who are doing the same.

Being online is just as important to me as being offline – for me, they’re two halves of the same whole, with plenty of overlap.

So I’m not planning to unplug anytime soon.

Inspired by NaBloPoMo writing prompt for Tuesday, November 19, 2013:
How much of the day are you plugged in? Do you consciously set aside offline time, or does it happen whenever it happens?