Fascinating, but perhaps not for everybody. I can waste a fair amount of time online, but most often when I do it’s because of a general lack of motivation due to a depressive mood. If I didn’t have the internet at such times, I would just sit around and mope. At least on HN I can learn things.
I think you and I have very similar situations. My time wasted online is often for the exact same reasons.
Before the internet was such a large part of my life, that time was spent writing in my notebook or reading books (somehow watching TV just made me feel even worse). A lot of that time was also "wasted," but some of it was really valuable time that I spent getting to know myself and my own thoughts better.
One thing wasting time online has never done for me is lift my depression. The only thing that ever does that for me is getting out of my environment and wandering around outside.
Agreed. Putzing around online is a symptom of an underlying problem, and I know it’s time to get up, make a sandwich, take a walk, whatever. Knowing that, lately it’s been a lot easier to stay motivated.
I think messing around on the internet for long periods of time is more dangerous than moping because it's an active thing that builds habit and reinforces itself. If you're depressed and moping you're under no illusion that you're not in a bad place.
