I found myself overhearing an interesting conversation the other day regarding the internet and all of it’s associated technologies. While having lunch, there was a group of individuals seated nearby expressing their unhappiness with today’s constant bombardment of information and social media usage.

Now I wasn’t eavesdropping, the group was simply too loud to be ignored and of course, hearing anything about computing and the internet simply pings my radar.

On the surface, I would have taken this group as today’s techies as they all appeared to be in their mid twenties (I remember those days) and they probably are, but what struck me was how much they seemed in need of an escape from technology, which just seemed really odd at the moment.

I did not wade into the conversation because 1, no one was talking to me and 2, I was taught to “mind your own business”, but it did get me thinking about the possibility of internet overexposure.

The quick and easy answer to this is get up and get the heck away from the computer, take a day or two off from the thing. Give yourself a break.

Giving this some deeper thought it occurred to me that it’s likely not as easy for many as that sounds. Take that group for instance, they may well have been academic types who have been in school their entire lives and have simply come to a point where they’ve had enough (for now).

Given that encounter, I thought I would share a few of my thoughts on the subject.

Life has gotten faster

Just about everyone I talk to seems to have this impression that life has sped up to a dizzying pace which fosters a feeling of loss of control. Everyone’s busier than ever and has less time to spend doing the quality of life things that they really want to do.

The internet and technology has contributed to this feeling to some degree, as everything online moves in nanoseconds. What should be used as a tool to free up time has actually become a tool to do more with less time, so the net gain has just not been realized for many.

Since we can do so many things quickly, rather than take the time gained and spend it elsewhere, we have chosen to stay in place and accomplish even more.

Life online can wear you down

All of the email and upgrades, spam and viruses, reboots and blue screens of death, all contribute to a sapping of your energy. It’s no wonder that some suffer from internet fatigue.

You decide to not do any real work online today, just send out a few tweets to your buds, up pops the “Fail Whale”.

You’re trying to build an online business, become a professional blogger like Darren Rowse, David Risley or Yaro Starak. This is not easily accomplished as the training and learning curve can be quite steep.

Let’s have a little fun and swing by Facebook. The social hour has turned into 4 or 5 hours, and it’s way past your bedtime since you have to get up for work at 5:00am.

Many of you are so connected that you find it difficult to back away, and establish a new schedule for your online activities.

No true escape

There is no denying it; the internet is in every nook and cranny of our lives and you are continually reminded about where we are in history as you look around.

Go to any coffee shop and there are laptops populating the tables. As you drove to the coffee shop, you passed numerous school kids waiting for the bus with their Smartphones out, likely texting or surfing the net, as they were not talking.

Remember the old billboards along the highways? Many have now been replaced with hi-tech displays that rival movie screens, where ads for all sorts of products are vividly shown without impact from the scorching sun. New ads are simply uploaded via the internet, eliminating the hazardous duty of men on a catwalk high above the ground.

The reminders are almost endless.

Things to consider

Fatigue is usually the result of working or indulging in something too much, which makes the solution seem rather simple in the case of internet fatigue. Unless you are compelled to be online for extended periods because of your job, then readjust your schedule and take a break from the action.

The internet is not going anywhere, and perhaps the novelty of it all has worn off for you. Change what and how you are doing things online as opposed to continuing a schedule that is causing you to burnout.

I’ve been using the internet since the early 1980’s and have yet to become fatigued. Perhaps I’m just too geeky and in love with it.

But seriously, if this is really becoming a hassle for you, ask yourself why you are continuing to do what you’re doing.

Consider your family and friends. Find some other means of spending your time, thereby reducing the saturation that you’re feeling about the internet.

There is no need to be online each and every day, just because your friends are. Don’t fall into that self-applied pressure point. Do your own thing and find another means of stimulation. Maybe it’s time to go back to more face to face visits with family and friends, which is never a bad thing (except for that 1 cousin we all have).

The online life is a wonderful experience for me and millions of others, but it must be regulated to some degree of comfort. It cannot become burdensome and lose all of the fun and excitement it has to offer.

The internet’s content isn’t going anywhere, the social media sites are here to stay and so are to numerous upgrades for software and opportunities to grow a successful business, should you choose to do so.

Find yourself a new groove and get the negativity out of your life.

I sometimes drive home a different route just to have a change of scenery and this is no different. It’s like everything on the internet, you must take action!

Now I’ll catch you later, gotta go see if I can find some of that internet fatigue.

What remedies or techniques do YOU use to avoid becoming fatigued