[herr_oberst]

At first blush, yes, the internet is working for me. The university of YouTube is a revelation, for example, as is the ability to access and read all the information in the world, from a discussion of the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Webb Telescope, and draw as much knowledge as I want from these and an endless number of interesting topics. Plus, instant access to any sports and racing teams or series that I like to follow, or to listen to seemingly every piece of recorded music with a few keystrokes? Genius!

But if I examine the quality of my internet use on a granular level, the algorithms are getting scary-smart, and true to form, my attention span is diminishing and more and more I use the internet as filler during my downtime, with the result being that my 'downtime' expands and the tangible projects that need doing or could be making real improvements to my life aren't getting attention as they need, so in that regard, no. It becomes a substitute for life.

Everything in moderation, as the old saying goes, but the internet is diabolical and knows how to draw me in and take too much of my time when I should be 'gettin 'er done" now that I'm retired and my time is my time.