However how important is the internet really, especially to myself?
I am a stay at home mum and a blogger. I have two very young children who take up much of my time and I also have chronic fatigue meaning that outings at the moment are a rarity. So for me, the internet is my sanity.
When my children demand the TV and won't let me sit down without jumping on me, I can pick up my phone and have a bit of 'me' time for five minutes. When my husband is working away and I am alone on a evening, I can chat to friends on twitter. And when I need to offload about one situation or another, there is always someone there to respond and lend an ear.
I use Pinterest a lot for finding ideas for the children to keep them occupied and entertained - messy play being a big favourite. And do you know how many uses there are for the simple toilet roll?
When my children are ill and I'm not sure whether a doctors trip is required, I can look online and find advice within a few clicks (particularly helpful when my daughter had Croup).
Not to mention online banking and food shopping, saving me time and sanity standing in endless queues with fed up, screaming children.
If I didn't have the internet I think I would struggle. It has opened doors for me via my blog that have given me self esteem, it has offered me a safe environment to be myself and it has saved my sanity on many an occasion. I feel that because of all this I can be a better mum to my children, as it gives me chance to breathe, take stock and be more rational during difficult times.
But all this does not mean I don't recognise the important of getting away from the screen. It is true that it is a great distraction from the humdrum of everyday life, but I do try and put my phone down and concentrate on the great loves of my life - my children. We play together, we read and when I have the energy we get outside and back to nature.
Personally the internet is important to me and I wouldn't be without it. Whilst some may think this is a sad fact, I feel it is part of life in today's society. And whilst it is a part of my life, that does not mean it is the most important nor that I don't make time to do other things.
How do you feel about being online? Is it taking over our lives or does it enrich them?
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