Playing Farmville Trumps Email in Use of Online Time: How Do You Use the Internet?

i used to spend time on friendster, then later on, on facebook but lately i stopped because it consumes much of my time, so the best way to avoid spending a lot of your time to a certain site, better avoid opening it if its not necessary.

I admit I spend a lot of time on facebook, but it's a No Farmville Zone for me.

Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
Also at Catherine-Morgan.com ( http://catherine-morgan.com/ )

I admit I spend way too much time on facebook, lol. I don't play many games online, but I always have a tab open with facebook! I just like to read the updates regularly. The rest of the time I'm online, I'm usually working or blogging.

Unfortunately, Farmville must be dead to me now. I spent entirely too much time building my faux farm and not enough building my businesses and blog.

I moved to a small town a few years ago due to a family member needing someone close. This meant going from a very active social life in the big city to life in a sub-rural retirement community where everything closes at 9pm (except the Walmart). I also moved away from all of the people I did things with, a rather large group. It was difficult to stay in touch because we all lead active lives. (I used to anyway!)

A couple of years of being in the boondocks someone sent me a link to FB. This changed my now very sedate, and sometimes lonely, life. I know what my friends are up to, how the kids are, what's going on with the group and so much more.

I don't know that I could go back to a life without FB. Anytime I need a voice other than my own at 3am, I can just go check out any of my friends pages and get a peek into what they're up to and I feel like I've talked to them. I'm sure they appreciate the non-phone call at 3am as well!

I have to say that the pages I set up for my blog and businesses and the ads I run are also great for driving traffic where I need it to go!

The only reason I don't spend more time on email is because no one else does. In the same way that everyone texts me instead of calling me, everyone fbs me or tweets me instead of writing it all out.

In some ways, I love it, because it means I communicate more with people, and it sort of forms a community with the people who are far away in our far-flung society.

On the other hand, I wish that we took the time to write out our thoughts and communicate a bit more clearly and effectively through more email.

But definitely no games for me! I get too confused!

Leah writes and photographs at Just Plucking Daisies ( http://justpluckingdaisies.com ) about everything from the humdrum to catastrophes.  If there isn't a silver lining, it can at least be humorous, right?

It's really amazing how much social media is used these days. I recently posted about facebook and its usage by moms (http://www.allbusiness.com/technology/software-ser... ( http://www.allbusiness.com/technology/software-ser... )). I gave up my account because it became such a time sucker, and I realized I wasn't spending quality time with my close friends but knew everything about people I rarely ever spoke to! I think it's easy to believe you will 'check it for just a minute', but for me, half an hour would go by. I didn't play the games, though. Finding time to read posts was hard enough lol!

Kathy

Allbusiness:Working Mothers ( http://www.allbusiness.com/bio/kathy-murdock/29846... )

Mama Marathoner ( http://www.mamamarathoner.com )

&am

I definitely rely on Social Media ahead of all other things. I generally have TweetDeck open in the background, and a tab with Facebook open. I justify it that its also, in my opinion, a key way to also advance myself professionally. I can reach more people on Twitter or Facebook than I can via email.

I admit, though, I'm guilty of spending too much time playing Farmville, too. Its my time-waster weakness. =x

Denise
Musician's Widow ( http://www.musicianswidow.com )