Top 3 Ways to Waste Time with Satellite Internet
So what are the top ways that people distract themselves in the age of satellite Internet? Let's count the ways.
1. Obsessive email checking
Instead of starting that report, why not check your email for the thirteenth time this hour? While not so long ago, email accounts were checked a few times a week at best, now most Americans are logged on several times a day. While most of the time people only get distracted by personal correspondence - a belated birthday message from a neighbor, an update from a college buddy, an unexpected check-in from an ex-boyfriend - you know it's gotten really bad when you start reading your listserv spam. For those who are looking to cut back on the obsessive email checking, setting a few specific times that you're going to sign in throughout the day can be a way to cut back.
2. Social networking sites
These sites are amazing for people hoping to keep in touch with old friends and relatives that time and distance make it harder to keep track of. But for some, these new ways to connect with people provided by satellite Internet can become addictive. One moment, you're looking at what your hughesnet dealsbest friend wrote on your wall, the next moment your 64 pictures into an album of your second cousin's vacation album. Some people who's addictions get too intense will choose to de-activate their accounts for a period to try and reset. But for those who aren't ready to let go completely, a good option can be noting the time you sign in, and pre-determining a reasonable limit for how long you're going to stay logged in. Don't make this goal unrealistic - you know that you'll never stick to 10 minutes. Choose something more reasonable, like 30 minutes, so that when the time comes you'll be ready to sign off.
3. Gaming sites
Computer games used to be for nerdy boys cooped up in basements. Now, with satellite Internet, even stay-at-home moms and business professionals find themselves logging on to play. These diversions can range from everything from Poker (in which players usually bet real money) to card games like Bridge to random objective games like Bejewled or Tetris. Like social networking sites, these addictions can be best addressed by setting a reasonable time limit on your activity before you start.