One year, no internet- what’s reasonable?

[Mustlovebronte]

Hello and merry Christmas! I am thinking of quitting the internet for one year and pitching a non-fiction book/long form articles about the experience. This has been mulling in my head for the last few years and for different reasons 2025 would be an ideal time to do it. Similar to Ultra Processed People, I feel like companies have sucked us all into this insidious, life- sucking trap. I want to experience and write about the good, the bad, and the ugly of our digital world by using myself as a test subject (as well as getting expert opinion/latest research). My question is, if you were to pick up a book like this, would you expect the author to go offline completely and work around the inconveniences, or would you consider it reasonable that they checked their email and WhatsApp once per day (as an example). I am self employed but most customers email me which is something I would need to work around (and nothing's impossible). I guess I want to gauge what people would consider ‘cheating’. Thanks for reading and really looking forward to any opinions xx

As gently as possible, are you a journalist, academic or writer? Because unless you have a proven history in the field I don’t really see this being picked up. And Johan Hari did did something quite similar already.

If you are using email what are you quitting?

Just social media?
Online ordering?
What if you want to contact a utility company, or do your tax return?

Offline completely.

Otherwise you're just playing pretend.

There will be scenarios you won't think of, that will only occur if you're completely offline

Good luck with it

Of course you can't check email off grid. You'll need an auto-reply with your landline phone number to call. You'll also need to turn every bill and statement back to paper. I don't know who would want to read the book, so check there's a market before wasting the year on it.

And yes if you’re pitching a book about using the Internet for a year then that’s precisely what I would expect to read - checking emails and whatsapp even once a day would fly in the face of that.

I'm not sure I'd be very interested in reading a book like that but to me, no internet means exactly that - so no e-mails, no Whatsapp etc.

I would say that email as a method of communication is different to internet browsing. I’d say checking emails is ok.

though obviously once you’re not on the internet for a year you won’t be able to ask Mumsnet such questions 😃. Or even use google maps! Or book flights easily! Or will there be a distinction between practical/useful internet use and mindless browsing?

I wouldn’t pick up the book either way. I’m aware of the downfalls of the internet, I know I rely on it too much at times. I know there is a happy medium. I’ve no interest in reading of someone else’s experience of limiting/not using the internet for a year.

Yeah, agree here. It will be very difficult but if you're gonna do it, you'll have to go all the way, for people to take it seriously

When I worked in retail over a decade ago, I met a man who was refusing to use banks, following the credit crunch and government bail out. I thought he was mad but he was adamant. Girl... if you're sure you want to, then lean into it fully x

Offline completely. Totally. Never ever connecting anything to the Internet.

You’d have to stop all streaming services too. Terrestrial TV through an antenna only.

If it's a book about no internet for a year then it needs to be zero use to be authentic, only checking once a day is what many people do anyway! I've been offline for a full week myself, none at all (transatlantic cruise) and if we book to Australia it will be 6 weeks unless I find a connection in South Africa briefly, so sorry no i wouldn't be interested in a half measure.

I am a writer 😃. Good point about Johann Hari (I have read his work). Fortunately, it is advantage if others have published similar non-fiction works as it demonstrates to the publisher there is a market. I will be differentiating my work x

Of course you can't use e-mail if you're quitting the internet 😂

I don't see the point personally, who will really care?

Sounds like a tedious book. I have seen it before in a newspaper article but that was just for a week.
life it set up to use the internet, why make it so hard for yourself.
if you are doing it you need to fully commit, no smart phone/whataspp/ email/ no internet tv- streaming services/no social media/ browsing/ apps etc

There are millions of people who have lived for many years without the internet.

I’m one of them. My book would be short. It would say ‘The internet makes life easier and more interesting. The end.’

I think it will be impossible in the modern world. But if you are going to write a book about not going online for a year then that's what you have to do. Checking once a day or once a week is still using the internet

Unless your offline 100% not interested at all, no online banking, no online direct debits, no cashless payments, no smartphone, no internet , no catch-up tv, no mumsnet, ect. it all uses online services.

Not sure how your going to manage all that though.

Who is your audience? Purely anthropological, i think you need to go full no Internet and talk about the genuine issues you face, e.g. like not being able to pay a bill amd talk to others, like the elderly, with similar problems, or you need a health hook, such as an eye problem driving you to navigate a non-dogital world, including job opportunity problems (like an editor having to correspond with you by post).

Alternatively, aim for the regular Joe trying to reduce phone use and wrote about how friends and family reacted, impact on them too, benefits like more quality family time etc. You could probably then write about how your first day, week month went and why you needed to make some cheat rules.

As pp said though, like fuck would I read a book by someone who gave up the Internet but still checked it daily. I could accept a weekly 15 min slot on a Sunday. But tbh, using text all day instead of WhatsApp is utter nonsense*. I'd also like to hear about how you're moving away from the need to check emails every week e.g. subscribing to postal contact only or changing your contact information with companies for anything other than banking correspondence.

*edited to add, it's nonsense because the problem, to me, is not the Internet, its phone use. I'd rather read from someone who gave up a smart phone.

If you are going “no internet” I would expect you to absolutely abstain from the internet. No email. No whatsapp. No voip. No streaming. no smartphone.

if you want tv, music, or other entertainment, you need to figure out a way to get it without the internet. If you want to communicate, you need to figure out a way to do it without the internet. If you want to get communication from your child’s school, no internet (good luck with that one by the way, at least at our school even the children get their basic info online).

If you're going to do it, you've got to REALLY do it. Even if you do, I really can't see the point or many people being interested

'My question is, if you were to pick up a book like this, would you expect the author to go offline completely and work around the inconveniences'

Er, yes?! Otherwise what is the point of the book. 'I went offline except when it was inconvenient'?!

I agree that it would mean nothing at all otherwise it would be pointless. But I also wouldn't read the book in the first place because I like internet and don't really have any desire to read about how hard it is to give up Netflix or pay a bill online.

You'd have to be totally offline for it to have any chance of selling. No email. No WhatsApp. No smart phone. No iPad. No computer. No streaming/smart TV. Nothing.

I’d definitely say go for it OP!i

in fact a close relative is talking about doing something similar ..