I Luv Teh Internetz, Lolz.

After yesterday’s post on my foray into online dating, I got to thinking about how much I really do online. It’s gotten to the point where I do almost everything online now.

I currently don’t have internet in my apartment so, for the past two nights, I’ve had to find coffeeshops that have internet long enough for me to check email and get some writing done. That being said, I’ve actually gotten more done in the four hours I’ve spent at coffeeshops over the last two nights than I would in four hours in one night at home. I’m embarrassed to browse ModCloth or PerezHilton within view of others, so I’m actually getting writing done… as you can see from the regularly updated blog!

I shop online for clothing, shoes, and, sometimes, even groceries. If I am going to do some in-store shopping, I check the store’s website first for any specials or coupons they might have and to see if there’s anything online I like so I spot it quickly when I’m in the store.

I work online. My entire job is to be the online communications department for our nonprofit. This means spending a lot of time on Twitter, updating our website, researching what’s going on in the environmental field, and keeping track of my favorite green bloggers.

I communicate more online than through any other method. Yes, this is the case for many people, but I use the Internet to communicate through Facebook, Twitter, and email for both work and personal things. I feel like 90% of my awake time is spent either on Facebook and Twitter… or with it in another tab. I’m never more than a click away from Twitter.

I read online. As previously stated, I do a lot of reading on environmental trends for work. On top of that, I come home and read all the news I don’t get to read at work. This includes CNN.com, PerezHilton.com, a few blogs, and Twitter links I favorite throughout the day. Oh, and occasionally, I’ll email myself reading material for the night. I used to be a writer whose work appeared in printed publications – like magazines and newspapers (remember those?). Now, I’m a sucker for a flashy – but not flash-based – website.

I share my hobby online. As stated in another previous post, I love to knit. One of the best social networks online right now (IMO) is Ravelry. If you’re not a knitter, of course, it’s completely useless. If you are, it’s the best thing you’ve ever gotten your fiber-obsessed fingertips on. I can browse any pattern based on a particular type of yarn I have, get pattern errata from hundreds of people who’ve done the same project, and then share it with others! On top of that, people who sell their patterns on Ravelry have made over $1 million.

I buy/watch music/movies online. I used to love buying an album, putting it in my car stereo, and memorizing all the lines before I got home from the mall. I can’t even remember the last full-priced CD I bought. Now that I haven’t had a car or a CD player in nearly 7 years, I have no need for it. My computer doesn’t even have a CD burner. … I can actually name five albums I bought on vinyl in the past year, but haven’t bought a single CD.

Movies are a different story. I mostly watch movies online through Netflix. Occasionally, I’ll rent a 99¢ movie on iTunes or catch up on a TV show that way, but I still buy DVDs. That said, I have lived in my apartment since September and haven’t hooked up my DVD player. I play everything through my computer.

Yeah, I know. None of these things are unique to myself. But it’s just incredible to think how lost I was for the 20 minutes I thought I wouldn’t have internet or computer access after 5:30pm on a week night.

When you think about how much time people do spend online, it’s intriguing to think about the first truly digital politicians we might have. The ones who had personal Facebook profiles in college or found their wives/husbands on eHarmony or Match.com. We think there’s an abundance of information out there for people to dig up on our politicians… just wait until people from the digital era start running for office!