Total time spent online is up 24.3%. At least that’s the conclusion reached by Jay Meattle after, I assume, conducting a thorough study. To graphically illustrate his conclusion, Jay provided this handy graph but neglected to mention the source data used in its construction. Perhaps it’s provided elsewhere on his site. Nonetheless, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt since we all sort of assume that we spend too much time online and, after all, it’s a pretty impressive graph. Check it out:
From the graph and presumably the data it depicts, Jay concludes:
“We are spending more and more time consuming information online. Logically, since time is finite, online advertising spend[ing] should follow a similar trajectory with marketers allocating their ad budgets in proportion to where people are spending their time.
Needless to say, this is a time of considerable opportunity for online media properties and online marketers!”
Well, sure. But shouldn’t we at least consider what kinds of online activity are included in the data? I mean, I think we can all agree that a great many people use the internet as their primary news source. My readers (ahem) probably fall into this group. If they weren’t online, they would be reading Time or Newsweek in paper format thereby contributing to deforestation. So let’s classify them as “green” onliners. And some are online to post the aforementioned news stories, also “green” onliners but sub-categorized as “producers” vs. “consumers”.
Then there are ‘net “surfers”, free spirits who simply ride the internet waves in search of the next “big one” but contribute little beyond clever cryptic comments like “Awesome dude” and “LOL”. If they weren’t online, they would be watching cable TV or skateboarding… And although I’m likely to draw some fire on this, let’s throw online gamers into this category as well.
“Porn Junkies” make up a surprisingly large segment of online consumption. If they weren’t online, they’d be trolling the malls. Some have real jobs or are politicians. They also fall into the non-contributory sub-category.
And last, but not least, are “bloggers”, those of us that work a day job while we await that mega-job offer from Time or Smithsonian that’s sure to arrive any day. Call us “wannabe journalists” for lack of a better term. At least we’re “green”.
Of course, some will point to another group, those poor souls tragically addicted to being online. But “online addicts” more accurately fall into one or more of the above categories rather than a separate one. But that raises a good question: Are we, perhaps without even realizing it, becoming addicted to being online?
Without straying into the habit vs. addiction quagmire, I think we should all ask ourselves from time to time if we are already — or in danger of becoming — “addicted”. And if we are, what can we do to get unhooked? Is there a 12-step program available in our neighborhood? Is treatment covered by insurance? Is there government aid? Can we set ourselves free cold turkey?
I went online (oh dear!) to find out. Fortunately, there is no shortage of articles on the internet aimed at getting the online monkey off one’s back. For example, wikiHow provides steps to help you analyze your time online and tips to reduce it; BBSpot lists the top 11 signs you’re spending too much time on your computer; the Center for On-line Addiction provides a Resource Center; and ParentsCentre offers an online forum to help you get, well, off line. Googling “Spending too much time online” provides more than a million hits to consider (Hmmmm).
As for me, I’ve probably spent way too much time writing this post. Am I addicted to being online? Naw! I wrote it off line!