I am genuinely worried I am addicted to the internet - Aibu to ask if Anyone else feels like this

[RocketQueenP]

I realise the irony because here I am, on the internet, posting this I just have noticed that Every spare moment I get I am on my phone I feel a bit anxious if I have not checked FB for a while I ignore DH, I ignore the DC, its worse (ie in how all consuming it is) than when I used to smoke. I lie in bed with DH reading FB, Instagram, mn, buzz feed, just any old shit. I will be watching a film or series and still be looking at my phone occasionally. I have zero attention span. I will be engrossed in a WhatsApp chat in a group I am in with my 3 closest mates and actualy get annoyed if DH or kids interrupt me as if I am actually sat there talking in person to them.

I went out for the afternoon at the weekend and deliberately left my phone at home. And by doing that, I also realised how rare it was to not even look at my phone for just 3 or 4 hours. And I know now I definitely need to cut down a lot. Life is passing me by while I have my head in my iPhone. I made a jigsaw puzzle with some of the DCs when I got home from that afternoon away from my phone and they were so happy to have my undivided attention. :( DH is as bad tbh.

Does anyone else feel like this? I honestly miss the days before goddam smart phones.

[Booksandmags79]

Me!

I've been consciously trying to cut down as it's getting out of hand.

[JennyOnAPlate]

Yes I definitely feel the same. I actually panic if I lose sight of my phone

I have a feeling the answer is to go cold turkey, but i just can't!

[PageNowFoundFileUnderSpartacus]

YANBU. Well done for realising it and making steps to cut down. I'm guilty of almost always having my iPad in my hand at home. I've cut down on social media and am getting better at putting it down in good time to get to sleep, but I recognise a few of my own traits in your description.

[Truckingalong]

Me too. I just relentlessly browse shit. Case in point!!!

[RocketQueenP]

I definitely blame smart phones. have had iPhones for about 4 years its only since having them! Prior to that I had a dinosaur of a pre payment phone, I would go online, had FB etc, but it meant firing up the laptop and sitting in the study so I definitely didn't spend anywhere near as much time on it.

I honestly feel (when not at work) lost without my phone in my hand

Even on rare nights out I am checking fuckin facebook ffs

[DubiousCredentials]

Same here. I have recently developed a bad pain in my shoulder blade area and I'm sure it's "text neck".

I hate myself but as a sahm of school age dc ultimately I have too much time to fill as I please and my default option is my phone.

Tomorrow I am going to ration myself.

[justdontevenfuckingstart]

Oh Me! permanently mumsnet, facebook or my stupid farm game. My phone is with me constantly.

[LiveLifeWithPassion]

A lot of people I know are similar, including me. I have friends and family in different time zones so I'm even on whatsapp if I can't sleep.

It's good to realise and try to put it down so you can spend time with family. I've started to put my phone down and switch it to silent a lot more. It's made a huge difference.

[RocketQueenP]

Dubious I am like that, well I work part time so I do have quite a bit of time to myself (which I feel very lucky about) ....

I honestly think the only way would be to ditch my phone and get a basic one.

[BeyondUser24601]

I do believe you can get apps that turn off e.g. Facebook for x amount of hours, without turning off the phone. So you have to make more of a concerted effort to just browse.
Might help?

[Fevertree]

Yes this describes me very well. I've had good days where it stays in my bag until 7pm but then it's in my hand for the rest of the evening including late at night when I am "winding Down" in bed and when watching TV with my husband. Housework etc takes twice as long because I just read crap that I don't even care about. So annoying and I know I need to stop.

[Janey50]

OP I think you will find that Internet addiction is actually a recognised condition. If you Google (oh yes the irony!) 'Is internet addiction a real thing?' it comes up with all sorts of stuff about it. Well done for recognising it and taking steps to cut down!

[JungleInTheRumble]

I totally agree. We went on holiday recently to a very remote place and for about 36 hours there was no cell signal and no internet and it was blissful.

But when I come home I can't re-create that. If I know the internet is there I need it! It is like an addiction...doesn't seem to have withdrawal symptoms though...

[normanreedusWILLbemyhusband]

Me! I am child free atm catching up on a box set & sat here looking at mn. I have no idea what's happened in my programme because I'm to engrossed with stuff in here!

[FeliciaJollygoodfellow]

Yes I definitely do. Even when I'm watching something I really enjoy I'm also reading something on here, I obviously can't concentrate on both.

I'm not as bad as DH though who will have YouTube on in the background while he has the tv on.

[Radiatorvalves]

Do you know the name of the app that turns off fb? I would pay money for that ! I do spend too much time checking updates and it is not necessary.

I used to read a lot, and now have no time - if I stopped fiddling with phone I'd be fine!!

[BeyondUser24601]

I don't, no, but I saw it recommended on mn so hopefully someone will know :)

[southdowns]

I ended up blocking Facebook on my mobile devices, so that if I want to check it I have to actually sit down at my laptop and fire it up etc. It has helped enormously with my mental health and means I'm not time wasting. I also blocked buzzfeed and all the other time wasting pages (not MN obviously!)

Still badly addicted to my phone though and rubbish at hiding it from my young DCs. As a SAHM I have to cut myself some slack. It's that or watching episodes of bloody Dora until my eyes pop out of my head.

[PinkSquash]

I too am addicted and need to cut down my Internet time and find something else to do. I may start crocheting again as I can't fiddle on my phone and do that at the same time

[MaximaDeWit]

Do you know the name of the app that turns off fb

Do not pay for an app - just deactivate Facebook

[sheepysheep]

I worry about this too. If you have an iPhone you can switch it to grey scale. For some reason black and white is a bit meh to look at and it doesn't seem to be so appealing. I don't know if it'll work for everyone but it works for me... On mine you just triple click the home button.

[RocketQueenP]

Glad its not just me!

I think I am going to just try and go cold turkey and go on much less (actually that's probably not cold turkey as cold turkey would mean no more phone at all. But I do need internet access for work related stuff).

I have found that if I log out of facebook I am less likely to keep checking it cos it means I have that extra step of entering my email and password ...I know that might sound weird but just means I cant just keep flicking on to it mindlessly iyswim. And also I am trying not to post or comment because then there are less notifications

[CurlyMango]

Me to. It's dreadful I am addicted, particularly to my iPad. It broke at Christmas time and I was bereft......just can't do with out re work etc. It's always just there.

[Derlei]

Me too. I think somewhere in your iPhone settings (possibly under Battery?) it tells you how many hours you've spent on any particular app in the last 24 hours and last 7 days. I've spent 2 hours today on facebook and when you look at it like that (when all you think you are doing is popping in and out to check for newsfeed updates), that's a lot!!