Author: Rachel Bold

Table of Contents

Introduction

There are all kinds of fabulous Web 2.0 tools out there, but can there be too much of a good thing? Is all the time blogging, twitting, and bookmarking taking a toll on your real life relationships? There are several resources online that give information and tips about balancing your online and real life time for both you and your students. For some, tips and information about attaining balance may not be enough. If you or one of your students needs additional help, see the additional resources section of this post.

Resources - Setting limits and boundries

Tips and info for balancing online and real life time

How to Stop Spending Too Much Time Online - Some basic tips for setting limits on yourself and monitoring your internet use.
Set blogging boundries - This site is a different spin on balancing real-world and online identities. It is exerpted from a list of quotes from "The World's Best Bloggers". The bloggers talk a lot about setting limits on how much of yourself you share online.

Testimonals of adults who struggled with the balancing their real life and online selves

Too much of a good thing - This is a blog post that started 07/26/08 in which a woman realized she might need to reprioritize when her web service was disabled for a day. The conversation is continuing and even provokes thought on the question, "Does the purpose of the time you spend online have any bearing on whether or not you have a balance problem?"

Coming Back Online, Maintaining Balance - A very honest blog entry by a woman who realized how out of balance her life had become and what she chose to do about it.

Tips and Info for perspective on helping kids set a balance

Help kids keep from spending too much time online - Strangely enough this is a page by Microsoft. It has some very simple ideas and suggestions for helping kids achieve more balance. Even asks the adults to look at their own internet use and notes that excessive internet time by teens can often mask other issues such as depression.
"My child spends too much time chatting on the computer!" - This is from an online advice column and does a really good job of breaking down the issue and comparing it to concepts parents and adults who are dealing with kids can relate to.

Additional Resources

Could it be computer/internet addiction?

Determine if you or a student is addicted to the computer/internet

Warning signs of Internet Addiction
Quiz for parents for determining internet addiction in kids
Self quiz for internet addiction

Helping yourself

www.netaddiction.com
Are You An Internet Addict?

Helping kids

How to Stop Your Child's Computer Addiction
Wrapped Up in the Web - The Dangers of Teen Internet Addiction

Ongoing Conversation
Notes, resources, ideas, activities, etc., related to this topic can be posted here by anyone in an effort to continue the conversation.

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