h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I can easily spend hours on the internet, especially if I'm trying to find answers to a quiz, or get hooked on a trivial game, otherwise shopping or just general browsing. If I want to find something out I tend to try the internet as first port of call. We used to have a 56k modem & the thought of the phone bill or someone trying to phone us did prick my conscience a bit. But now we have cable modem & the house is networked, we can all be online anytime. I just love being able to check my email frequently & do feel disconnected if I haven't done so for a whole day........but really I'm more of a solo game player & will spend even longer just playing off line games. (Until my joints seize up...)
My 17 yr old son once said I was the only mother he knew who played computer games. He has his computer running all the time, set up to do all sorts of technical things beyond my knowledge. (A Linux afficionado) But he does fit in eating, sleeping & a few other activities as well.
My 14 yr old son used to spend hours playing Diablo online, but has suddenly stopped - I'm waiting for the next craze.
So I wouldn't say any of us are quite addicts, we can stop voluntarily, if reluctantly. On the other hand my husband uses the computer out od necessity & with frustration cos he can never make it do what he wants easily. He's definitely not an addict & can't quite understand what the rest of us see in it.
I guess in the end it's a question of either fitting the internet into your life or building your life around the internet.

I'm definitely *not* an addict, though I have subscribed to a 'fixed-rate, unlimited access' ISP. There are certain sites I visit regularly - H2G2 and Dilbert are visited daily. I sometimes play 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire' online, but recently the site has become unusable. Other than that, I use the 'net for research or to check facts.

I have often told Richard (my husband) that you could take all the high-tech equipment out of our house, including the TV, VCR and my computer, and I would be perfectly happy - provided that you left my CD and cassette players. I think I could live quite happily without the rest of the stuff, as long as I had some way of listening to music when I want to.