Why I refuse to have the internet in my home

Why I refuse to have the internet in my home

By Pasquale Casullo

Confession(kənˈfeSHən): My home is internet-less, by choice. And it is bliss(blis). I have neither a modem(ˈmōdəm,ˈmōˌdem) nor a data(ˈdatə,ˈdātə) plan for my cellular(ˈselyələr) phone, which makes it easy to disconnect. Just as dipping into a piping(ˈpīpiNG)-hot bubble(ˈbəbəl)-bath requires a strong constitution(ˌkänstəˈt(y)o͞oSHən), so does going without home WiFi. But, once in, it is a soothing(ˈso͞oT͟HiNG), relaxing experience.

I am a 31-year-old writer – not, as you may be thinking, a curmudgeon(kərˈməjən) fearful of technology. I take pleasure(ˈpleZHər) in explaining(ikˈsplān), “I’d rather spend that money on gin(jin) than a telecom(ˈteləˌkäm) service contract.”

I am not attempting to escape(əˈskāp) cold, harsh(härSH) reality through isolation(ˌīsəˈlāSHən). I devour(dəˈvou(ə)r) newspapers daily (in print, preferably(ˈpref(ə)rəblē)), keep a radio tuned(t(y)o͞on) to the CBC for the hourly news broadcasts, and am always reachable(ˈrēCHəb(ə)l) by text, telephone and, for someone who desires(dəˈzī(ə)r) an in-person interaction(ˌin(t)ərˈakSH(ə)n), visits can be arranged(əˈrānj).

Don’t think this has to anything do with JOMO (joy of missing out) or going on a fruitless(ˈfro͞otləs) “social-media cleanse(klenz)” either. I sometimes find myself asking: “What is it, exactly, everyone does on the internet all day?” Not having internet access(ˈakˌses) at home isn’t as uncommon(ˌənˈkämən) as you may believe; I’d venture(ˈvenCHər) it is what we’re all thinking about but are afraid to commit to – such as deciding not to keep up with the Karadashians.

“I went to the woods, because I wanted to live deliberately(dəˈlib(ə)rətlē). … I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow(ˈmarō) of life,” so went Henry(ˈhenrē) David(ˈdāvid) Thoreau(THəˈrō, THôˈrō, ˈTHôrō), proponent(prəˈpōnənt) of living simply in mostly natural surroundings, in his book Walden. A good point, that: The world shimmers(ˈSHimər) greatly in comparison(kəmˈparəsən) to the world wide web, with no purposeless(ˈpərpəslis) dilly(ˈdilē)-dallying(ˈdalē).

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/first-person/article-why-i-refuse-to-have-the-internet-in-my-home/