BellaOnline Forums Computers Blogs & Social Networking Getting consumed by online socializing?

Do you spend too much time on forums, facebook, twitter or other social media sites? Do you have this time under control, or do you wonder if you spend too much time in virtual realities?

Any tactics for keeping your internet socializing under control?

I really don't have many personal friends, but I don't let myself stay on line too much. I refuse to start these online games as they can be addicting.

One girl I know quit her job and stayed home basically "in game" for about 6 months. She had to go get a job when her money was almost gone.

She had not really done anything about trying to get out of the field she was in (she was in game), so she went right back to the same place and is sorry now.

Working M-F 8-5, writing, doing research at the library, and on the net doesn't leave me too much time to do a lot of socializing.

So far, I do not seem to have the addiction.

That's interesting about being 'in game" mode. I know that my DH used to be lost for 24 hour + days in SIM playing, or for months with his Fantasy Football League. That's a lot of passive time!

I find that I can easily spend HOURS on a daily basis on Twitter. I's addictive. Facebook only seems to take up an hour once a week or so - it goes in spurts when family members seem to load up photos. And there there's the massive time I spend on the forums right here on BellaOnline. That's social media too. And posting and reading reviews on Amazon.

Some people get lost in YouTube for hours when they might actually need to be doing other things. That's not so much a problem for me - I prefer reading things over watching stuff.

Twitter is the biggest offender for me i think.

Sometimes i think i need to go on a social media diet. lol

I used to spend hours on places like CafeMom and others, building profiles and putting up blog postings, etc. I've really tried so back off some of that tho in the past couple months.

I found that instead of doing new articles and blog postings myself, I was spending a lot of time on forums and social networks. I did make some good friends tho that carried on into emailing each other about mutual interests.

Jilly. This is really my first time getting into this forum stuff with people of different interests. I usually almost always have entertained garden forums but that was it.

Considering I've almost become computer-illerate, since quitting my job and becoming an at-home-mom, I find it a time passer, indulging in the forums here at Bella, until time to do other things in the house and the family gets home. Sometimes, though, everyone should take a break away from the computer period.

I used to spend most of my time eithe doing church work on the computer or playing those darn real arcade games. Before you know it, much time will have passed away as you continue to eyeball the computer. I have to take a break for my health and my eyes.

Yes, i often wonder about our poor eyes and spending excess amounts of time on the computer. I have read it's best to take an eye break for five minutes every hour. it doesn't hurt to get up and walk around during that time, too! :-)

I should set a timer to go off each hour to remind myself.


And yes, it's really easy to use the bellaonline forums for socializing, lol!

I'll have to get the 411 from my daughter on the other socializing forums. I'm not too keen conversing with people I am not affiliated with or know. It just seems weird.

I used to be so outgoing. The extrevert and whala, I turned 42 and other things have taken interest and spark. c'est la vie

I used to be on CafeMom this time last year, but I got burnt out on that site. I dont like the flashy pages with all the music. Not really into youtube, will watch animal or autism video, rate and fav and move on. Not into myspace that much, will read a message here and there.

I have been busy at facebook since my 30th HS reunion was last month and connected with some who went to see the pics.

I got really into the entrecard drops over the summer and hope to pick that up over holiday break which brings me to new blogs.

My time is usually on twitter. My event the other day - autism twitter day was very fast paced and trending topic twice.

Yes and no. I admit somedays I get VERY carried away with all of my ninging and tweetin and yahooing, etc. I'm also a member of Myspace, LinkedIn etc, but I don't spend too much time on them.

And when something HAS to get done. I put all of that aside including email and get what needs to get done complete. There are a few days a week that I don't do any social networking at all. I pretty much do it for fun/informational purposes.

What sorts of games are people getting addicted to? That's not something I've encountered too much online. A little hangman now and again LOL, but nothing else.