Take Your 6 Megabits Per Second and Shove It

For the past week I have been unable to get this article off my mind. Actually, I have not been able to get a lot off my mind. Hell, sometimes I feel like I cannot get enough on my mind.

Lately I find myself obsessing over information. Reddit provides a daily fix of random news, funny articles, and endless pictures to see. Facebook provides an almost-literal waterfall of news about my friends anytime I want it. Engadget, Gizmodo, CNN, CNet, WWTDD, Ars Technica - I frantically click on all of these links every time I open a web browser, which itself is quite frequently. Some people complain about an information overload nowadays. I complain about an information hole in my brain. It is like an information deficit disorder - I have to keep my mind entertained every moment of the day or else I have withdrawal.

This was not a problem ten years ago - I am not even sure it was a problem five years ago. I blame the Internet. Yes, I am a gamer, so the Kotaku article I linked above has some merit to me, but the core of my attention problem stems from the Internet. Information is extremely easy to come by. Thanks to always-connected hi-speed Internet connections I can plop myself in a chair and have new information flowing to me within one or two clicks of a mouse. Thanks to my iPod touch I am almost guaranteed to have this same information available wherever I travel thanks to free wireless Internet access available many places.

What is the first thing I do when I wake up in the morning? Head to Facebook and Reddit. What is the first thing I do when I get home from work? Head to Facebook and Reddit. Going to bed? Not before I get one final update from my favorite sites. I am obsessed, yet a little sad all at the same time. I do not feel like my happiness is my own, but rather tied to how often I can get my Internet fix.

Why was I so much happier ten years ago? It was not because I was having an incredible time in high school with friends, girls, and gaming, but because I had to dial-up the Internet, wait a full minute for one page to load, then disconnect so our home phone was available again. My access to limitless information was restricted. I got a lot more done offline than I did online.

Maybe I am getting old, but I sure do miss the good ol' days.

B3 out.