I use the Internet too much. I don't remember at what age I started to use but i was instantly hooked even at dial up speeds. It feels like the Internet has become an extension of me, like a limb.

Last year, I got fed up with my ISP increasing my monthly bill - it had jumped to $85. In addition to wanting to use it less, I decided I'd try an experiment and cancel it.

Spectrum did not want me to cancel. Offering me all sorts of deals but I eventually got it cancelled. I don't recall the exact day but my last bill was June 20th 2023.

Cancelling my home Internet didn't help. I honestly think it made things worse.

I guess I'm lucky in that my work provides me a phone, with unlimited data and hotspot. At first I told myself I wouldn't use it, instead I paid for a small data plan thinking I'd have to ration my usage. I tried using a flip phone, imposing data caps on myself and evening telling myself I can go to the library to use the Internet if I needed more - none of that happened.

Within a month, I was using the work unlimited hotspot.

I think this has caused me some anxiety over the last year - while I wasn't doing anything wrong (as my work allows personal use,) I felt like I was doing something wrong. Not to mention the frustrations of unreliable cell service. I had failed in what I had set out to do. I was more dependent on my phone than ever before. In the back of my mind I kept questioning if I was taking advantage and might get in trouble. It feels like I had chopped off a limb and I was struggling to cope.

This week I was trying to look something up online via my phone and it was terrible. The only thing I could think is how much time I'm wasting, what would take a few seconds was taking two, three, four times longer. Something that should take 5 minutes took closer to 15.

I had the thought to sign back up for home Internet on Monday and I did. Last night I was connected and I feel this sense of relief now. No more worrying about data usage, using work for pleasure and it's so much faster/reliable.

I don't think my usage changed in the past year and I don't see it changing now. I suppose the one net benefit is I saved $600 over the past year but I honestly don't feel it was worth it. I'm glad that I at least tried it but I'm also glad that it's over.