Hyper-Connected

You're probably right, Browntie, that this may not be the right audience to ask about hyper-connectivity!

Interesting point about Americans being the worst tourists and the difference between wants and necessities. I notice that once we have something we feel entitled to it, hence our extreme frustration when a brand new technology stops working.

Regarding "addiction," though, I think it's a term used too loosely. I think most people are Internet-obsessed, or have the compulsion to use the Internet, but are probably not "addicted," per se. I was just doing some Googling and found this quiz about Internet addiction. I'm not sure how accurate it is, of course, but I thought some of the questions were interesting.

The results are interesting and you have some great thoughts but some of us may be the wrong ones to ask. Obviously we like technology and that is why we respect this site and the discussions here. I think most of us, myself included, hate to use the word "addicted," when in fact that is what many of us are. With technology increasing we have actually bought into the fact, we need to check our cellphones every few minutes,  serf the internet on an hourly basis, and list spirals on and on. It is sort of like a report I saw last night that stated we as Americans are the world's worst tourists because we expect things. We no longer fully grasp the difference between wants and necessities. Most of us would say we have just enough technology because we don't like to admit much of what we use these days is not really needed. We try to convince ourselves that technology always enhances our life when in fact, that isn't exactly truthful. When is the last time most of us wrote a handwritten letter to someone or really got to know our neighbors and spent time visiting and talking to them? I am as guilty as anyone.

All the talk about "Internet Addiction" -- including recent "research" on it -- was the driving force behind this poll idea. I am pretty surprised by the results. I thought more people would say they were too-connected. Perhaps we shall explore this further in a blog.

I fully agree with that, Ron.  There are too many sites and platforms and sources of information to really delve deeply into any one of them (er, except this one, of course).  I worry that I am becoming more widely but less deeply informed all the time.

As I've as much as stated before, I could do very nicely without daily Internet use if I didn't use it for work.  Heck, I don't even like having to answer the phone sometimes.

That said, I make do with what I deal with and look for what excites me within the realm.

There is help Ron.  In fact the next trend is going to be big.  Internet Addiction services. Theres little competition.  Betty Ford goes high tech.

I would love to be less connected and to be able to concentrate on one thing at a time. I feel like my attention is always being pulled in multiple directions, but I don't see disconnecting or even reducing my connection any time soon.

I saw the digital divide. I tried living disconnected. painful. 

I use my phone the same way you do! I only use it to make and receive calls, plus text messages. I connect on Facebook and other social media sites, email, etc. when I am in front of a desktop or laptop. I love the balance I have and don't really intend to change it.

@magneticnorth, agreed! When I was on vacation in the Bahamas last fall not having a mobile phone readily available for calling was a great escape! Heck, not having my iPhone not working yesterday (Rogers network issues!), although highly irritating, did offer me a nice breather.