confessions of an online junkie
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I am a self-confessed online junkie. I am online most of my waking hours, so much so that I'm starting to believe that I am not of the planet Earth but a denizen of the World Wide Web. I have no name, I have a user. Though Encarta primarily describes "junkie" as "drug addict: a drug addict, especially somebody addicted to heroin (slang)" it also offers an alternative, lighter definition which is "enthusiast: somebody whose interest in or liking for something resembles an addiction." I think, no, I profess, that I embody the latter.
The many joys of being an online junkie far outnumbe its disadvantages. The only disadvantages I can think of are higher electricity bill and carpal tunnel syndrome. If you could live with these, then by all means surf away! Blog on! Not convinced yet? Well let me walk you through the rewards one can gain by getting lost in cyberspace.
Freedom - Boundless freedom. There are no restrictions as to what you want to see, what you want to know and when you want it. You set the rules, you set the pace and you can be somebody else and nobody would know. Not even your mother. Really, nobody is above you. Only copyright.
Knowdlege - If knowledge is power, then you can be God. Imagine unlocking the coded recipe of a famous fried chicken brand, or discovering the true color of Madonna's hair or even stumbling upon Bruce Willis' lost tapes (gasp!)! Really, with you online, no secret is safe. Not even Zsa Zsa Gabor's age.
Philantrophy - Trust me, there is an organization for every persuasion. So if you think you are alone in the fight to bring back from the dead the Napster of yore, you are wrong. There are three of us and I am the co-founder of a continuously growing union. Buzz me after you're done reading this and I'll send you the link. Don't be the missing link.
Entertainment - If "all the world's a stage", then there must be an audience, right? Right. So what will it be then? Movies, ebooks, Ryan Seacrest, or that stolen "home movie" by that certain hotel heiress? Before you decide what to be entertained with, maybe you can hookup with your clan in the Arctic region and your forum friends in Equatorial Guinea so you can chat during the whole proceedings. TV is on the brink of extinction, it is for couch potatoes. The Internet is for couch potatoes, with hands.
Money - Oh you'll love this(!) for there are truly countless ways to earn a buck just by going online. There are gaming sites that offer prizes to greedy gamers and sites that even pay you to test/play a game.But if your hand-eye coordination is slightly suspect, then you can try answering polls and surveys for pay. And you don't even have to tell the truth! So how crazy is that? On the other hand, if you want a more decent living, you can try your hand at freelance, work-at-home anything. Copywriting, Web designing or describing your afternoon at the Laundromat and publishing it online. This last bit is called blogging. E-A-S-Y.
So there. The very reasons why I am an online junkie. I hope this piece helps debunk the notion that being an online junkie is being counter-productive. I am free, I am informed, I have a voice, I am entertained and I'm making money. Er, let's make that last declaration I will make money. And one more thing, I am optimistic.
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yes, it's literally travelling without moving! :D
Amen! And you will make money - just stick in there - onlinejunkieism pays off if you have the staying power - I wish you well :)
that's the plan all right! LOL thanks for dropping by and wishing me well :D
Being productive is not a junkie at all. But if we can call ourselves that on a positive note then "cheers". At the moment, we are on the same both.
That's the spirit! Cheers to all the online junkies of the world! :D
I'm definitely addicted, as well. I haven't gotten to the point where I bring a laptop into the bathroom with me, but I know of people who say they've done it. Nice job, Cris A.
Yeah ! All thumb up
rockinjoe - i heard that the addiction manifests differently to different people. bet you brings yours to the rooftop! LOL thanks for stopping by
aanaedwards - thanks, we know because we are :D
E-Junkies Unite!
oh yes let's! :D
Nice hub. This line "knowledge is power, then you can be God" reminded me of the latest movie of Indiana Jones where the greatest treasure of the aliens isn't Gold but Knowledge.
I am close to being an "online junkie" myself too...hehe
Oh Cris, I mispelled the boat. LOL. Sorry dude, I'm just getting back into writing. I've gotten used to texting. LOL
countrywomen - you are not yet a junkie? then hurry up or you might miss the boat! LOL Thanks for dropping by :D
sheena - no prob, happens to me all the time as in hear vs here etc. :D
Don't worry I will try to reach your destination with "flying colors" (anyway I get sea sickness and not so keen on the boat trip)...LOL
all the better! you'll get there faster by plane! LOL
haha - the junkie juggernaut rolleth on!!
You might want to check this out as well :)
oh yes, "junkie" never sounded better! thanks for the link, will go visit it! Thanks :D
Yes aren't we all tarred with the same brush!
yes, i couldn't have said it any better! :D
I find it difficult to pick up my laptop and not spend an hour or two online.....mainline?......intravenous. No need for needles...goes straight to the brain. Reinforces obsessive compulsive behavior. Sure is a good fix for obsessive TV watching. I want to get rid of my TV but the wife says no.
Listen to the wife, to each his own addiction :D
I too, live on the computer - from the time I get up until the time I go to bed. It's actually my eyes that are suffering, but small price to pay. :)
Great hub.
Yep I must concur! no price big enough to take me away from my computer! thanks for dropping by :D
Cris- What if by the time I decide to fly then the earth happens to be in between the intergalactic highway (aka Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) then I would need a fast space ship to get out of earth to catch you in case we need to meet up in some other galaxy...hehe
Here,here and I thought people think I'm crazy,sometimes being in cyber space is better than being in the real world.
countrywomen - in that case, i guess you have no other option. just get there! LOL
kevinit9 - it has it's ups and downs but it's always a great escape :D
There is so much I don't know about the internet but I do know it is a whole new world of opportunity where regular business models are thrown out the window! Just read about the rise of Google, eBay, Facebook etc! :D
Yeah, you could never have said it any better! I remember when I was reading the For Dummies guidebook just to keep up! LOL
With the internet accessible from practically anywhere these days, makes ya wonder why so many people are still totally clueless about the world and what goes on in it.
Personally, I can't live without the internet. If the power goes off and I can't get online, I start suffering withdrawal after 30 minutes (the maximum time I think the power company needs to get it back on!). Does this mean I'm an online junkie too, and if so, could you direct me to a website for this addiction? =D
You are an online junkie, no doubt about that! There's no other Web site but Hubpages - temporary cures are provided by this site during Christmas and New Year's Day (i think) LOL but the cure's effectiveness lasts only as long as the food on the table, it doesn't even wait for the dishes to be cleared before it wanes! LOL
First of all, Chris, you are a junkie, you admit that. Now the next step...Seek help! Before your family calls for intervention and you end up on a tv cable show along side of paint sniffers and glue eaters!
But I thought the last step to healing is acceptance/admission? LOL it's first in, first out so i guess i won't be the first one to end up on tv! :D
Im starting to become one ;)
Well then , Sir, welcome to the club! :D
You know what's funny is that I read this like a month ago and I said, eh, that won't happen to me....look at me now!
I'm just here following the gang! Pretend you you never saw me. l.o.l
Gosh, am I becoming one as well? At least I earned a rockin' $67 from ciao. Good for shopping on ebay. l.o.l
goldentoad - but your avatar suggests you still have time to stay out in the sun! with the brat, too! quit whining!
Sheena - we are because the net is! :D btw, that's our credo! LOL :D
I'm teaching him about "scopin out" for chicks in that pic. Actually it was like a year ago, long before I became imprisoned by hubpages.
so you mean you look even worse now? LOL
hey, i read your comment in the Twilight hub! To answer your question, it boils down to this - you got mouths to feed while I don't other than my own (which I hardly do anyway).
hahaha. Cris your crazy! Calling goldentoad's little toad a brat. So now you are awake? I thought I heard you snorin' Cris.
I'm not sure about my snoring...I'm asleep everytime I do it! LOL Yep, earlier than the sun (it's been raining) :D
the kid is a brat, there's no denying that, especially since he takes after his father and it gets his momma mad. as far as looking worse, I was thinking about Froggy213 pics about people who do meth, we should all submit before and after pics for hubpage addiction, it may be helpful to folks who have a chance to avoid addiction!
heheheh. Good idea for the before and after pics. As for the Froggy213? Why Oh why is it always associated with a toad?
HA! amphibian relations.
That wont work, addiction comes with the territory. Either you hub and get addicted or you do YouTube. That's the way it goes.. :D
I was gonna ding you Cris for being late. l.o.l
I might be slow on the draw sometimes, but I'm always here.... omnipresent! Bwahahaha
cris...show me how to make the money..Online
if only i know how, i'd publish it here... but then again, I wouldn't have much time for hubbing as I do now! LOL
But you might want to check this out http://hubpages.com/hub/Different-Ways-To-Make-Mon
I can so relate to this! Is there and On Line Annonymous for addicts? OLA!!!
hola mi amigo!
not yet, or at least none that i know of. but you can start one...or probably HubPages is THE place? :D
I want to be an online junkie also. This is now my new goal in life!
Okay, see you when you get there if you aren't there yet! Anyhoo it's nice to know you've prioritized wisely! LOL :D
Very funny and informative! And I thought my daughter was hooked - she's addicted to FB, watches most of her tv shows online, and I have to drag her out of the house to go to the movies because she sees most of those online too. I have yet to convince her that she can actually make some change while she's in front of that screen, but I haven't given up (and thankfully she has a day job).
I'm slightly addicted to FB myself - Mafia Wars! LOL As for your daughter, it's already too bad when it interferes with her "ideal" social life and studies. And og, never give up! Thanks for reading :D
Hi Cris A. I enjoyed your hub. Once I red a book called "Click". The author named the internet surfers 'Lurkers" (I hope I spell it correct) and the ones that write for the web "contributers." He never refered at them as junkies but maybe he wanted to be nice!
Haha yeah, he must have wanted to be nice. But we know better right? Thanks for reading and commenting :D
Enjoyed this very much - very well written A+!
I was only after for A but I can't complain with an A+! Haha Thanks :D
glassvisage Level 5 Commenter 3 years ago
It's true, philanthropy abounds online. And the freedom!... it goes beyond geographical boundaries and it's wonderful