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

@TunipTheVegimal24 re insurance we went through a broker , in an insurance office and they then found you the best option .

As other have said there are two options for your proposal.

1. Giving up social media - closer to your comparison to ultra processed people, could be of interest in terms of impact on comparisons and self esteem but probably harder to gather interest in (we know it isn't good for us already). The infiltration of AI into these areas would be an interesting tangent.
2. Giving up the Internet (no emails or whatsapp). Unlike previous posters, I don't think it is just going back to how we lived 50 years ago, as so many areas expect you to use the Internet. Could be an interesting piece on digital inclusion/exclusion, and the challenges of going without all the handy tools we have. E.g. in the last to order a takeaway I would have looked in the phone book, no I would be reliant on a leaflet being delivered or walking over to them to get the number. Would be interesting to have snippets from other with no or limited access (e.g. doing job applications at the library) and reflections on changes in habits (would you really have more time for hobbies, be more productive, have a longer attention span, spend money less impulsively?).

Well using the internet at all would be cheating so posting on here would be the same

Heaps of people have done it even post on the internet at the same time as 'not using the internet' so what is the point?

But no one needs permission to do it

Do we need a middle class writer to tell us how hard it was for them without Mumsnet and Ocado deliveries when there are people who are genuinely excluded and experience real problems that can't be solved by just putting their iPhone back on charge?

The general timbre of these replies shows why I think it would be interesting, if OP's a good storyteller. Since I am as old as that mouldy thing over there, more of my life has been lived without internet-enabled tech than with it. Sure, it's completely taken me over now, but I know how to do all the things without it.

It's more effort, basically, and slower. Some things that were useful have gone - phone directories and payphones; teletext; high street banks; ticket offices; classified ads; probably a few more. But it's perfectly do-able. People still use noticeboards, there are still advertisements, maps still exist. The interesting aspect will be how it affects the writer, the changes she makes, and whether it alters her relationships both personal and business.

Turnip I'm not sure what you are getting at, I'm quite long in the tooth and the internet was very much in its infancy; very few people had a personal computer let alone a mobile phone (and definitely no smart phones) when I started driving, so you either rang different companies, made notes, and then rang back the company you decided to buy insurance from OR you used an insurance broker, who you could phone or book an appointment and see them in person. I mean obviously you can still phone up some companies and get quotes, but given how long the telequeues are, I think OP would spend hours of time on the phone, which presumably would have to be a landline, as WiFi calling is still using the internet (If the OP wants to be completely offline).
Nb when I phoned one company for a quote (can't remember which one as it was a couple of years ago, I was told a quote could only be done online, I think it was at that point I came kicking and screaming out of the internet 'dark ages' and finally got online most things, having resisted for many more years than most; it just got to the point where it became overly time consuming and difficult to do things 'the old fashioned way!'. I still have no social media (apart from mumsnet). I know some friends get really frustrated that I took myself off WhatsApp as it means they have to text me. But the constant pinging did my head in. I've also avoided having a website for my buisness, although finally conceded I probably should have one if I want the business to grow.

It would be very, very difficult to manage without a phone, though! Not a mobile - I don't feel OP should use one at all but, if she does, it ought to be one that only does phone calls (they're still made, and very cheap). Landlines may be running on the internet now, but a house phone is a house phone however the service is delivered.

And faxes! I was looking at some that can deliver to the recipient's computer, but didn't bother checking up whether they have to be running some special software - come to think of it, they would. So forget faxes 🤷‍♀️

I think this sounds interesting, and providing you have an engaging writing style, this is something I would read.

What you are suggesting is using an internet-connected device to take messages sent across the internet and printing them out. That is not abandoning the internet.

And just where did she get the phone number from?? no yellow pages anymore (not here at least).

it is impossible to function now without the internet. Too many things cannot be done off line.

@Mustlovebronte Sorry I'd rather watch paint dry than read about this. And doubly so if you're not actually doing it properly. Going internet free means just that, not 'once' a day or only for xyz or asking a friend to do something for you,

There are plenty of people, particularly the very elderly,for whom this is simply how they live.

Only interesting thing about it would be a younger person's perspective and suddenly realisation about just how excluded (and borderline discriminated against) people who cannot / will not use the Internet are.

It's an interesting concept. Clearly, you shouldn't use the internet at all. There's no point in writing this book if you're going to cheat.

However, you have no way of proving that you have done that. As a reader, I would probably assume you had said one thing and done another, so I wouldn't want to pay much money for the book.

I would posit that many of the 'very elderly' who do this, use the Internet by proxy.
My DPs hardly use the Internet.
Except my DB, DH and I do online ordering, monitor emails and their NHS app, make appointments etc for them!

You'll need the internet to market your book.

I suspect the vast majority of elderly people who aren't on the internet have relatives who do all their internet-related jobs for them, though.

My in-laws didn't have internet until a few months ago - but their grown up children ordered stuff off Amazon for them, or dealt with their online bills and banking, as well as any online forms that needed organising.

I would wager that there are very, very few people nowadays who genuinely never use the internet for anything, ever. If OP is going offline for a year, she won't be able to just get people to do it for her - surely? Otherwise it kind of defeats the point.

I think it's already been done including living in a log cabin in the woods. Might be a problem if you have to claim benefits during the year

How about spending the year inventing ways to get round having to use USA and Chinese websites with some wires in your garage. Good luck

I'd be really interested to read about someone living completely off-grid, without moving to a remote island on whatever. Just living day to day with no internet. How it impacts work particularly.

My elderly aunt does and life is becoming increasingly hard for her.

Good luck with it - writing for a living isn't easy!

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).

If you did this your “book” would be pointless. I’m not sure how you think that would be a year without internet. Not very clever

Before or after writing it. Obviously.

You'd probably need to compile your own mini phone book from, for example, leaflets delivered through her door or the sign on the takeaway building.

It is not impossible to function without the internet, but it is very difficult. The strategies you would need to overcome the difficulties are literally the point of the book.

It's been done. There are other books out there (Against the Current for one). Offline living is a thing you know!
But to answer your question - checking in once a day rather defeats the purpose of the whole exercise!

To be honest, I would prefer a fiction book on this, and Nick Spalding already wrote "Logging off" .

I don't think it sounds interesting tbh. Firstly if you did the lite version and checked emails and WhatsApp once a day, you would be living like my mother, so nothing new and as dearly as I love her I'm not sure the world is clamouring for a book about her lifestyle.

Even if you went hardcore and genuinely used no internet at all, you would just be shifting the usage to the person you spoke to on the phone - they would use the internet for you, to carry out whatever function you need. You would prove how difficult it is not to have ready internet access, but we all know that.

I'm thinking this reminds me of that Breatharian woman who claimed to live on Prana (celestial light). Then someone saw her eating a potato or something and she said well yes, of course I can eat, but I'm not living on the food - I'm definitely living off the Prana.

"Living without internet" but using email and WhatsApp is a bit like that.