Adjusting to the Birthright World | Shorashim - Israel with Israelis

Adjusting to the Birthright World

My name is Ethan, and I am an internet addict. It's been over 6 days since I used the internet, and I'm worried that the withdrawal symptoms are becoming evident. I'm finding myself increasingly interested in the outside world, I occasionally learn relevant facts about my surroundings, and I'm actively talking to people instead of just replying to the emailed innanities of friends and or focusing on problems at work. The change is scary and I'm worried that others will start to notice the tell-tale signs of engagement and ask if I want to use their smart phones for a quick login. Just a fast glance over my waiting messages, what could it hurt? Come on, this laptop is tethered, everyone is doing it! But so far I've resisted my daily technological fix, and focused on taking each day as it comes. Each hour is a struggle, every passing minute an agony of self-imposed web censorship. Although it's impossible to know what the long-term effects will be from this lifestyle change, it seems like more than a remote possibility that I could acually end up remembering the country of Israel and its multitude of challenges. I'd always heard that the time spent online could be used for personal interaction, physical activity, and sightseeing, but until now I never would have believed it. With continued perseverance I am confident that I will be able to make it through this experience without the crutch of facebook updates, esoteric blog posts, and continual news updates.