According to Oberlo, internet users around the world spend an average of 399.5 minutes every single day online. In South Africa, the average person who uses the internet is online for a whopping 567 minutes per day, while Brazilians with internet access tend to spend 555 minutes each day surfing the web. At over nine hours each day on the internet, I think those people could qualify as “chronically online.”
To learn more about what it means to be chronically online, we reached out to an expert on the topic, Eric Simons, co-host of the Chronically Online podcast. “Chronically online is an insult. It refers to a person who is always online, lacks any real-world interaction, and forms their entire worldview from their phone,” Eric explained.
“You will see it used in a comment section to tell someone they don't have a life. The accused ‘chronically online’ individuals are also often told to ‘touch grass,’” the host continued. “That means go outside and experience the real world. Daniel and I chose the podcast name ‘Chronically Online’ to be tongue-in-cheek, but we fit the description. Overall, the term is negative.”
Despite the term not being a compliment, Eric jokingly argues that it probably is one of the least harmful addictions we can have. “Think about it. By the time you tell someone they are chronically on fentanyl, they’re a goner,” he told Bored Panda. “But to be serious, being chronically online is unhealthy. You can fall behind in school or at work when you are glued to the screen. It can also affect your physical health when you trade exercising for arguing with people in the comments sections of cat videos.”
“A psychologist will have to tell you what living in a bubble of algorithm-tuned content does to the brain,” Eric continued. “Nothing good, I bet. But hey, back in the old days, people were outside all the time and would get kicked by horses. So I ask you, which is healthier: too much internet or a horse kick?”
Eric also says he believes the younger generations are more prone to being chronically online, but that doesn’t necessarily mean society will be worse off. “Some individuals may be more prone to develop internet addiction that negatively affects their lives, but overall, the younger generations will be able to reach a stable level of internet usage,” the host says. “They will adapt. We are already adapting.”
And if you’re looking for a cure for “chronic online-itis,” Eric says he knows just the thing. “Find a hobby that does two things. First, it gets you out of the house. Second, it involves interacting with other people. For Dan and I, that hobby is stand up comedy,” he shared with Bored Panda. “We are out there on stage facing the real world every night. The joy of landing jokes and the pain of bombing are as real as real life gets. And the comedy community? Our local scene is top-notch. It's a supportive, diverse circle that adds much needed perspectives to my world view.”
“The more community-based your hobby the better,” Eric added. “I see rock-climbing and hiking have strong communities. They have the added bonus of being great for physical health. For me personally, as an internet addict with an itch to create my own viral videos, I found enriching connections in filmmaking circles.”
“For getting a diversified perspective on the world, volunteering can really help, because you meet a wide range of people from different backgrounds and with varied personalities,” the host continued. “Starting a local group to pick up litter at a park or nature preserve in your area is my go-to volunteering suggestion. The planet will thank you too.”
And if you’d like to hear more from Eric about what it means to be chronically online, he urges readers to let him and Dan be “your chronically online friends who keep you updated on internet trends.” You can find their podcast right here!
While being chronically online is usually nothing to worry about, and is of course, not something that a doctor would actually diagnose, there are a few signs to look out for to remind yourself that it might be time to log off for a while. According to Katie Rees at Make Use Of, spending too much time on the internet might start to become a problem if you’re skipping appointments or events to spend more time online, being sedentary for hours at a time on the internet, prioritizing your online life over staying fueled and hydrated, losing touch with friends and family members in real life, or if you know more about online culture than real world events.
Some of the ways you can combat becoming too chronically online are by using distraction-blocking apps on your devices, keeping a solid schedule to avoid becoming bored and scrolling online, limiting or deleting your social media accounts, turning off notifications for non-essential apps, making regular plans with your friends and family members and finding interests and hobbies to pursue that don’t involve being online.
One of the reasons why slipping into being chronically online is so easy is because there’s always something new to see online. We have unlimited access to news, and there are constantly new posts being shared on social media and fresh YouTube videos to watch. We naturally want to keep up with the trends, share the latest hilarious memes and keep in constant contact with our friends. But when prioritizing internet culture starts to impact our real lives, it’s important to remind ourselves why we need some time offline every now and then too. Logging off every now and then can be a nice reset to remind ourselves that what’s happening online isn’t always real. “Girl dinner” is just eating food, and your relationship doesn’t have to be chronicled on Instagram and TikTok to be valid.
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Spending time off of the internet can also be a great way to boost your creativity. When we’re bombarded with memes, social media posts and news headlines, we don’t have to think. We can just absorb endless amounts of information. But when we stop and spend some time with our thoughts, we might be inspired to create something new. If we actually allow ourselves to become bored for a moment, we might have some original thoughts for once. Without seeing the views and thoughts of influencers, you might have a fresh perspective on life.
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Spending less time online might also translate to having more time for things you enjoy. You can prepare a fresh, home cooked meal for your family and spend hours chatting outside while your phone is perfectly fine without you. You can be more present in conversations when you’re not distracted with notifications, and you might finally be able to finish that project you started months ago that you “never have time” for. Logging off might also make you feel less stressed. We tend to compare ourselves to others when we spend too much time on social media, but when we take a break and really allow ourselves to be present in real life, we’re reminded that things like virtual likes and Instagram followers really mean nothing.
According to Daisy Jones at Vogue, spending less time online might even make you a more attractive and interesting person. She explains how appealing she finds it that her girlfriend does not keep up with Twitter discourse or the latest trends on TikTok. She also hypothesizes that it’s healthy for one chronically online person to be with someone else who is less terminally online. “I think I find people who are mostly offline appealing because I am so online (largely for my work, but also because I’m addicted). It’s the combination that works,” Jones explains. “Kind of like someone who is incredibly energetic being drawn to someone a little more withheld. The two can level each other out; a reminder of what exists outside of their own bubble, and the shared equilibrium that can occur when two worlds collide.”
