Data Discipline

2025 update: This didn’t last much longer beyond this post. Games came out I wanted to play online with friends (The Division and Overwatch) and that wasn’t manageable on mobile handset data plans at the time. It was still an interesting experiment to go on this “data diet” for a while.

Originally posted elsewhere March 2016

I do not have proper internet. I'm not going to sign up for it until the cost of living alone is actualized. I can budget and estimate my bills, but until they show up, I don't know that the budget works. I'm sure some people agree with the logic while others would be completely shocked. There have been periods in the past with no internet, and it was uncomfortable. Have I come to expect free flowing access to information and entertainment? This has been different though. It has been a choice, I'm the one in control.

I still have internet access through my phone. Using it as a Wi-Fi hot spot I have 5 gigabytes a month. This week I've allowed myself 1 gigabyte of data and it has changed my browsing habits in a big way. I haven't touched YouTube, Imgur, or torrented hours of shows and movies. I wouldn't pay proper attention to them enough anyway. I would just have them on while browsing the internet on my phone. There's still more social media usage than i would like, but it doesn't use too much data. It's important to note though, I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.

My internet usage has redirected towards getting information, syncing documents, or downloading Pokémon yellow. Now most of my computer usage is productive. It's amazing. It has also re-framed the way I'm viewing the consumption of megabytes. It's not a commodity after all. It's kind of the perfect thing to sell because you don't have to create them. You don't have to wait for them grow old enough to harvest. It's not like food, electricity, or prostitutes. Megabytes have a logistical cost, sure. You must transport them. You must perform maintenance on the network of cables, servers, and pay to keep them running. What you are selling will never run out.

I'm not sure if I'm getting to some kind of valid point. I may be overthinking something simple to try and confirm to myself that I'm making the right choice. The result is undeniable. I am far more productive without the option to go spelunking into the cavern of the internet.