When my first computer arrived at our house, back to 1998, I had zero experience in using it. My first computer was, in my childish eyes, like a very sophisticated console. At least in the beginning. A couple of weeks later, after spending many hours per day exploring the potentials of my new piece of equipment I started realizing that I slowly was becoming addicted to it.

The interesting observation, I guess, is that I’m not a computer games guy! I love classic console games but not computer ones. This is pretty odd for a geekish figure like me, but… nobody is perfect.

To summarize, as a boy…

• I did have a PC
• I didn’t like games
• I had no Internet connection

and yet I became addicted to my computer! Addicted enough to choose computers as a profession

(image credit goes to h.koppdelaney)

Have you ever thought why a computer can be so addictive? Until recently I had the feeling that only certainly personalities, also known as geeks, could turn out to be «computer junkies». Then Web 2.0 came to prove me wrong. Services like Facebook and Twitter managed to put online people that couldn’t find any reason to even try the good ol’ WWW.

The question remains. Why are we attracted by the Web 2.0 and its Social Networks?

«we are wannabe celebrities and at the same time we are nosy parkers»

… which is perfectly ok if you ask me as long as it does not interfere with our personal and professional lives. Unfortunately it does. The instant messaging communication instead of telephone or face to face interaction, twitter messages instead of regular coffee outings with friends and Facebook games at work instead of coffee and lunch breaks (best case scenario) are only some of the facts that our digital life attacks more and more often our regular one.

Is there anything we can do to achieve balance between these two lives? Is there a way to regain our personal, lost time? I believe it is…

m i n i m a l i s m

Tagged: digital life, facebook, social networks, twitter