I Have A Slight Internet Addiction

In the wake of my post from Friday about online friends, it is only fitting that my next challenge with NaBloPoMo is to talk about how much time I spend online.

The answer? A lot.

Nearly everything I do requires spending some time online. And having a smartphone makes it even worse!

Here's a look at my daily schedule:

6AM until 2PM: Get up, get dressed, do my hair, make/eat breakfast/lunch, edit photos, blog, answer e-mails, take surveys, work on graphic design

2PM-6PM: babysit, tutor, craft, edit photos/work on graphic design, practice German, social networking

6PM- 11PM: dinner, crowdsource jobs, clean the house, edit photos/work on graphic design, look at/work on finances, night time classes, neighborhood/city meetings, shopping, watching "tv"/movies

So how much of that time is spent online?

Well, for example, this morning I learned how to do a French Fishtail braid. Some days I need advice on how to dress appropriately for a meeting or maybe just how to combine different pieces of clothing for a well put-together outfit for the day.

Justin usually makes my breakfast for me, but on the weekends I've been known to get him to try random pinterest ideas. Pumpkin pecan cinnamon rolls for the win?*

Editing photos can be a long drawn out process. In fact, Justin has decided that while he *gets* photography, he absolutely cannot stand Photoshop! (Shocking for me since he seems to know how to do everything!) Luckily, he was able to help me understand histograms and how to work curves in photoshop, but there is still a lot that he doesn't know. For those things, I consult the internet. As I've mentioned before, one of my favorite sites to go to is Digital Camera World. Then there is CreativeLive. Either way, the internet is definitely a go-to when I'm trying to conquer a difficult concept such as color or composition.

When I first started blogging, I thought it would be easy, like journaling except to an audience. I've actually learned a lot over the past year. As I added personal goals to the blog including blogging daily for NaBloPoMo, using a word of the day occasionally, and learning to write better, I've had to consult the internet for help, suggestions, and recommendations. Luckily, there are plenty out there!

Because I don't make a consistent amount of money, I complete surveys most days. My favorite sites to do this are Pinecone and Opinion Outpost. I do also recommend Crowdtap for trying different concepts, often before the general public, giving your opinion on possible advertisements companies will use, and getting the chance to win prizes during their drawings every month.

Between 2PM and 6PM, I'm not really online except for the use of my smartphone. I read e-mails, chat with friends, and practice German with DuoLingo (which needs an internet connection), in between helping kids with homework, crafting with them, taking pictures of them, and everything else I do with them (which, depending on the day, can be a lot or hardly anything).

After I get home, Justin and I might use my phone to go drive around town doing jobs for Mobee or EasyShift after dinner to make a bit of extra money. When we are done, we use mint to check on our finances. If we aren't cleaning, shopping, going to city-wide meetings or anything else, we MIGHT consider watching Castle or a James Bond movie online. We don't have a tv, so anything we watch comes from the internet.

As you can see, I'm online nearly 24/7. If I'm not checking e-mails on my smartphone, I'm blogging or researching how to edit photos on my laptop. There is rarely a time during the day when I am offline. I think this past summer I attempted to make myself get offline after 9PM every night to read, but that didn't last long. :-/ Maybe I'll try that again in the near future. In the mean time, there is a ton of work to do (since it has picked up due to the holidays), and I need to use the internet to get it all done!

So how often do you use the internet? Do you force yourself to go offline during the day?

* Note: I haven't actually tried these yet. I'm sure they are delicious, but if they are not don't complain that I told you they were!
** This post is thanks to NaBloPoMo, offering bloggers tips, monthly blogging prompts, and chances to win prizes! :)