Maddie Walters

Staff Writer

It is well known fact that kids of our generation will forever be remembered by our adaptation and embracement of the advancements in technology which have taken place over the course of our short lives.

From the Internet to the cell phone to the iPod, technology has shaped the way we think about things. And while these advancements have not only created new ways to communicate, such as texting and blogging, they have taken away from the past times that we used to enjoy before inventions such as Facebook.

For me, the distractions of the Internet have hindered my life in ways they were never intended to. Whenever I do homework on the computer, there is always an urge to check my Facebook, Flickr, or dashboard of Tumblr. And the addition of Netflix has made my home life even more pathetic as I now watch myself happily spend an extra hour on the computer doing nothing besides watching movies or TV shows.

This bothers me. I grew up living on the outskirts of Tyler, spending a majority of my time outdoors being a kid and getting involved in all sorts of tomfoolery. I didn’t even have cable until I was ten years old. Now, I watch my wasted teenage self becoming more and more dependent on a metal box for all of my entertainment.

Perhaps the most devastating part of this growing dependency is the reduction in the number of hours I spend reading. As the hours on the computer accumulate, the precious time I used to spend curled up on the couch with a good paperback have significantly decreased. As an advocate for literature and the expansion of its popularity, I feel like a hypocrite for becoming someone I never thought I could be; a modern day zombie.

It has reached the point to where my parents feel the need to restrict my computer time in a very serious way. One of the features of Windows Vista is that it allows “Parental Control”, a feature that gives parents the option of restricting the amount of hours their child can spend on the computer, what kind of games they can play and what web sites they can view.

As a 17-year-old, it’s frustrating to watch my parents control my activities in such a direct way, but at the same time I’m grateful to them for not allowing me to spend as much time as I want to on the computer. If that were the case, it’s likely I would get even fewer hours of sleep than I already receive.

With all this being said, I’ve decided I need to make a change in my life. While I could quit the computer cold turkey, studies have shown that the results are typically better when an addict weans themselves off of their addiction. So I’ve made it my solemn duty to starting reading before bed like I used to.

Sadly, I know this process won’t be easy, but if it means I spend my time doing more of what I love than what I have come to love, so be it. The couch and I have got some catching up to do.