Controlling Mac Addiction

It has only been about two years since I first started “getting into” Mac computers but I have progressed a lot and at a very rapid pace! I do not take much credit for this, but I “blame” the Mac for its ease of use and the ease of becoming addicted to the ease with which one can do more and more on this marvelous machine.

I have now arrived at a turning point in my life where I have “drawn the line” as to what I will use my Mac for and how much time I will allocate to the various tasks I want to do. What am I talking about? I feel like I was on the verge of becoming a “Mac addict” by the fall of 1995 and I was tempted to drastically cut back my computer uses so I could devote more time to other priorities, like exercising, reading and spending more social time with real people!

After some thoughts and reflection (and considering the small fortune in hardware, software and Mac books I have accumulated) I returned to my senses and decided there are excellent uses for the Mac that enrich my life. On the other hand there are ridiculous uses for my Mac that I have cut back or eliminated due to their absurdity or waste of my precious time!

What are my favorite Mac uses? We all have our own preferences and needs so this is of course is a very subjective area. The one thing most everyone loves about computers is word-processing. This is one of the best and most useful uses , especially since I teach high school and take classes regularly. Do you need a fancy word-processor like WordPerfect or Word? I own WordPerfect and I do 95 percent of my word-processing in ClarisWorks. Most of the other 5 percent I do in WordPerfect, just to justify having bought it. But it is excellent for those who need a feature-rich word-processor.

My second favorite use is Internet e-mail. I love to write to friends and relatives all over the world! It is fast and almost free. On the other hand I get bored with most of the rest of the Internet. The text, graphics and grainy video does not compare to real books, real magazines , real videos and discussions with real people! Don’t get me wrong, I have spent countless hours there already and that is why I have re-evaluated my priorities. I know how addictive it can be!

What is a waste of time and money for the average Mac user? In my case it has been buying lots of extra features and software that I rarely, if ever, use! I own about 10 CD ROMs I never use. Starting with Groliers and on through a stack of miscellaneous games and reference CD’s ( I prefer books or videos in most cases). After reading too many articles on a computer screen, I promptly renewed my magazine subscriptions. I also waste a lot of time and money on various online services reading and posting in their conferences. Am I really accomplishing much here, beyond personal amusement? Some of these uses are quite helpful, but many are mere entertainment at best.

I know this is not a “techie” article but I wanted to share a paradox I reached in my personal life as an avid Mac user. I do love Mac computers and I will continue to use them extensively for e-mail, word-processing, desktop publishing, a few games and some other miscellany. On the other hand I think we all have to stand back and take a hard look at the role computers play in our life. We need to balance our desires as users with the “opportunity cost” of time and money we put into them. In my case I realized that computers had become a problem when I noticed my time spent with friends, reading books, and exercising had declined due to increased computer use. After analyzing my situation I re-prioritized my computer use so it does not take precedence over the truly important things in life. After several weeks of reduced computer time I am much happier and I feel my life is more balanced. I also sleep much better now that I try not to use my computer within two hours of going to bed. At the same time I love my Mac more than ever! I do look forward to continuing to grow in my computer knowledge and uses, but this time I will be more careful and remember what things are really important in life!