On the Internet
On the Internet,
I am free to do anything I want.
There are endless possibilities.
I am anonymous.
I like to play Pogo games,
Like Word Whomp,
Turbo 21, and chess.
I am anonymous.
I can read books for free,
Study for tests,
Buy stuff, and talk to strangers.
I am anonymous.
It is a world of information,
Being shared freely,
I like to be on the Internet.
I am anonymous.
Theodore wrote that poem when he was in grade school. I think it spoke to his growing awareness of the Internet. Fast forward to today. Theodore is now in a situation where he cannot afford Internet service and has no easy access to it. His lack of it has pointed out how much I have come to rely on the world wide web. I tell him to look up an address to find something. Then he reminds me that he doesn't have the Internet. I tell him to look up a recipe that will fit the ingredients he has on hand. He reminds me that he doesn't have the Internet. I tell him to check his email because there is an interesting email that he should see. He reminds me that he doesn't have the Internet.
However, he's doing much better than I think I would. What's he doing? He talks to his classmates, he listens to the radio, he plays cards, and he reads. Maybe I should be without the Internet for a while to see how well I could adjust. As much as I would like to pretend that I'm not hooked to my computer, I don't think I would fair very well.
Do you think you could give up the Internet?
