Dumping virtual life for a real life

[scourge]

I read a book lately: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Gaming Sci-fi. Fun and lighthearted. It tells the story of a boy who plays a game every moment of his life because it gives him hope.

Until the end, I didn't understand that I, too was living in a simulation.

My simulation encompasses nearly every living moment. It's Magic: The Gathering. It's books. It's TV. It's YouTube. It's this fucking site right here that I spend hours glued to.

My simulation is tailored perfectly to my interests. It's a bubble of satisfaction and distraction. It's a place where I can solve immense problems creatively and hear moving, deeply human stories. In my simulation, life is easy and there are so many good things to do.

But in the real world I have grown weak. I've become recalcitrant to discipline, and even the most menial tasks-- organizing my binders for classes, for example-- are postponed for days. I'm more socially awkward now than I was in high school. I've been in college for several months now, and I haven't even gotten a girl's number. I can't face myself in the mirror. I can't live like this anymore.

As long as I use media to escape my problems, I will be dead inside.

When I look away from my phone and computer and out of my window, I remember my dreams. I want to be a distance runner and a biologist and a lover and a father and everyone's favorite goofy drunk. I want faces, not usernames. I want hugs, not that fucking Reddit Gold crap.

So goodbye, Reddit. You've been wonderful, but I have things to do and be. Where I'm going, there's no room for imaginary friends.

http://www.reddit.com/r/Foodforthought/comments/171u7r/why_i_cant_reddit_no_more_warningfeelings/

Good for him!

[aquarius]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2012/10/02/the-new-mental-health-disorder-internet-addiction/

[scourge]

Ironically, Varg Vikernes blog http://thuleanperspective.com/

[Discharged]

Everything needs to be maintained in moderation.
I spend a lot of time on the computer; but out of it I've gained friends that I have met in real life at festivals; made connections with bands allowing me to hear stuff before anyone else etc...

hell. I've even met and gotten a real best friend because of the internet; but like anything of a good thing it can be come sour and over burdening.

[beyond_godlike]

There is no real excitement to be had while indoors. You will never be satiated by watching documentaries or whatever it is you do.

Also, a lack of vitamin D causes depression and mental weakness. You need daily sun exposure to be healthy.

[aquarius]

On the whole there is just too much potential in computers for the masses to utilize them in any meaningful way. Email, facebook etc replace the skill and grace of letter writing. Then twitter replaced Email and facebook. i-maps replaced looking where you are going. Wikis replaced actually having a clue about anything.

[prozak]

#1 way to do this:

Volunteer, and make your efforts count, instead of merely screwing around on social networking.

[beyond_godlike]

I try to be a news aggregater, but I my reach is not large. I am also considering becoming a writer, but the pay has to be good to be worth the time effort. To me, there is no such thing as part-time writer. I think that is mostly what any of us want, just to spread information to make everyone aware of the source of their problems and how to fix them. The network of willing employees is here, there just needs to be a money source somewhere. We need to organize and start sacking towns.

[Goatreich]

It's easy to become complacent in cyber repletion. Go out and conquest.