Can you cope without the internet?

Dubai: For many residents in Dubai, having to do without an internet connection — even for a day — is as depressing as having to live without electricity or water, and this segment of the population can’t even bear the thought let alone experience it.

The internet has come to be the medium of choice for most people to do almost everything from socialising to learning, working or relaxing, and more and more people are finding themselves unable to function without the internet and increasingly dependent on it to the point of addiction. Many of those in this category express the view that access to the internet is critical to getting through each day.

Gulf News spoke to a number of people about how they would manage for a day without internet access, and the common response was that it would be similar to being deprived of water or any other basic need.

Ali Zakarneh, 24, from Jordan, who works as an accountant’s assistant, says that being disconnected from the internet makes him feel completely isolated because it stops him from keeping up with the rest of his friends.

“If God forbid my internet got disconnected for one day, it would definitely stress me out. I would feel like I’m missing out on what everybody else is posting. Also, I’m used to posting things on Facebook and Instagram every hour, and looking at what others posted, too,” he said.

Abdul Razaq Al Khaja, an Emirati engineering student at Dubai Mens College shares the same feeling. He said it is stressful to be used to something and then suddenly not be able to use it. “It’s like a routine for us to grab our phones and open up apps to check for things and be informed of whatever is going on around us. It would drive me crazy if I was unable to access the internet. It’s reached a point where, if you don’t have a connection in one place, you’d have to find somewhere else with an internet connection,” he says.

Farah Nassour, 21, from Syria, and Hala Bassam, 21, who goes to the American University in Sharjah, also didn’t hide the fact that they experience withdrawal when deprived of the internet. Both recalled the feeling of helplessness when their internet router stopped working.

“My internet router stopped working on Saturday and it was by far the worst experience I had to go through because I would automatically find myself grabbing my phone trying to look at feeds on Facebook and Instagram,” said Farah. “On that specific night, I started to find ways to spend the day at home by either watching TV or playing games with my siblings.”

Farah added that it eventually turned out to be quite nice socialising with her siblings for many hours because it was something that doesn’t happen often, but she also said that she wouldn’t want her internet router to stop working again.

As for Hala, she said her internet stopped working for a period of about five minutes recently and she couldn’t help feeling disconnected from everybody else around her till the link was restored. “We rely on the internet for everything we do. We google things we want to know more about and we use it to stay connected and updated with friends and family. I don’t think anyone can be used to something and then deprived of it in the next minute. It’s hard and impossible, and I usually force myself to sleep when that happens,” she said.

As we grow more dependent and addicted to the internet, it could have serious consequences, says counselling psychologist Carey Kirk at The LightHouse Arabia.

“Internet addiction is becoming more and more of a clinical problem. With social media, BBM, SnapChats, and other forms of online communication are taking place of face-to-face interactions for many individuals, especially in the younger generations. We are becoming passive, generalist communicators meaning that we seldom make direct contact with individual people any more. Our social communications often come in terms of Whatsapp groups or Facebook/Instagram posts to a wider audience and if that audience doesn’t see the message or invite, they miss out. This is one of the reasons people feel lonely, isolated, and angry when they are disconnected. Our social relationships are often so digitised and impersonal that it is rare that someone is going to make the effort to call you or meet up with you anymore if they have news to share,” she said.

Carey added that there were numerous studies that were conducted where people were asked to go without internet connection on their cellphone for 24 hours, and she said “most of the studies received the same results: people report feeling isolated, lonely, anxious, angry, and depressed.”

“There are also studies being conducted that suggest that exposure to the internet is shortening our attention spans, impairing our ability to learn and read body language and facial cues, and reducing our exposure to important stress-relieving and connection building hormones such as oxytocin. When we are constantly checking our phones, we are also not allowing our brains the needed time to wind down and switch off. This makes it more difficult for people to sleep and to feel refreshed,” Carey said.

Commenting on the positive side of being disconnected from the internet, Carey said that it would be a great opportunity “to build deeper and more lasting relationships with ourselves and the people around us. We can increase our attention spans. We also allow our brains to rest and rejuvenate properly, which can lead to better concentration, memory, and creativity.”