Disconnected

Have you recently been unable to access the internet for an extended period of time? I did not realize until last week how difficult it could be.

For those who do not know I recently moved. Still in Pittsburgh, but now in a different area. However through some miscommunications with various utility companies, both me and my family were stranded without gas or electricity for four days. Add that to the three days that internet was shut off at our old house because of transferring the service and you have one full week without the internet.

Your first response might be, “Justin is a computer scientist, so naturally it was difficult for him to miss internet capabilities.” Actually as I reflected upon that week without access I do not think that many people in my age group, geek or otherwise, would have had an easy time.

A large part of our society today relies on internet connectivity not to keep them hooked up to their favorite websites, but to information they need to live. Whether it is working from home, checking your bank account, or even checking the forecast, the internet is now a daily staple. I would guess this is most evident in teenagers and twenty-somethings, but really I think it extends deep into the current working class (40s-50s?).

This is not new information, but I know that sometimes pointing out the obvious puts things into perspective. I know that last week I realized how much information I absorb from the internet on a daily basis. Be it from email, RSS newsfeeds, or using Google to find specific information I need, my dependency on computers/internet is even more than I had thought.

This is not necessarily a bad thing either. It is a sign that our culture has tightly integrated the use of technology into work and recreation. In most areas this means an improved flow of information (all your info in one place) and an ease of use that allows technology to be widely accepted (think iPhone).

Geek or not, how important is the internet in your daily routine? Can you imagine going a week without email or any of the other things I mentioned?