November 15th ~ The internet

How has the pandemic been treating you? Well? I hope.
I mean I hope none of you have caught the virus and are all still alive and well. I understand that many still have their own continuing conditions and issues, just not any need to make anything any worse by catching the covid virus.

The Internet today and how we use it. What can it mean or what has been happening since lockdowns and pandemic have taken over the world. 1 thing is for sure, internet use has risen. People have less and less to do because of lockdown. More time on their hands called “boredom”.
Things many never ever paid attention to are now becoming part of their lives, all because they browse the Internet more often.

I use the Internet predominantly to spread the great word of my writing and advertise the books that I have written. This is my methodology behind my Internet use.
(opportunity to advertise)

Twitter is @TWOsonsTOOmany

Facebook is @TWOsonsTOOmany

Instagram is @2sons2many

These are some of what I use the Internet for and of course to post links to my Amazon author page and to bring some traffic to my website where I showcase some poems and short stories.

Now tell me you do not do the same thing as me?
I hit the Internet up and begin a few advertising posts and then within milliseconds I am engaging in other posts and retweeting other writers to offer to them support and help to spread their news of their writing too.
It does not take long before I am calling Donald trump a sore loser and of late I have noticed I have even expressed with some expletives a little distaste for some of our own home grown corrupt politicians. Man oh man, how easy it can happen. I am caught in, trapped or “sucked in” to some of other people’s posts. Some I find funny, some I find completely out of whack. I guess they kind of stir something up in me.

There are even times that I cringe and bite my tongue, maybe bite my fingers would be a better way to describe it as it takes everything in my power not to respond to many posts that I scroll through.
So how does this happen?
The being sucked in stuff, how can I fall for it every time?
I have no clue to be honest. Am I satisfying some piece of my own self gratification of self importance and having a little say here and there soothes my ego /egos, alter and all that.
Am I a person who is too vociferous (actually was on a description of the meaning of my name “Aidan”)
Basically that I cannot shut up might be a simpler way of putting it.

Most of my writing in my 4 books has been based totally about my own experiences. Where life has taken me on my own journey and how I have dealt with the issues that have arisen before me. I have taken to the Internet in advertising my writing as a way to reach others who may find life a little difficult. I wish to offer to people my own story as a way to show and tell that everything is possible and everything can happen.
The virtuous cycle of inspiration has been quite rewarding.

On that note, something of interest about a virtuous cycle.
I did not know how to explain what I was finding through being present on the internet and engaging with readers and other authors. I could not explain it properly.
I knew it was the opposite of a vicious cycle, yet I did not know what to call it. I have learned since that it is called a virtuous cycle. Everyone I asked automatically knew what a vicious cycle was and not many could tell me what was the opposite. The cycle I am referring to is the way in which my own story has brought about inspiration to someone who has read any of my books. When they have conveyed that to me, it brings about an inspiration to me to continue writing. The cycle therefore is, they are inspired by my story and life, I am inspired by their response. So the inspirational circle is quite the virtuous cycle indeed.

Getting back to the Internet and how it is so easy to get into conversations on posts and blurt out some reactions to posts is amazing. Not only because of pandemic and lockdowns, though I do believe that more and more of you are browsing and scrolling aimlessly now that the world has become the way it is.
I try to continue with my advertising and will continue and even though I wish to write an answer or respond to thousands of posts daily, I limit myself to just a few.
For my own mental health really.

I suppose it is fair to say that in the arena of our mental health and the internet, it is a good idea to keep in mind that the Internet and all the posts and the endless scrolling is all something that is “out there”. The posts and tweets around the place are absolutely nothing to do with you directly in so much as they are NOT any part of who you are. The internet is a bit of a playground so to speak and when you are finished you go home or go back to your life.
Your life being what goes on inside of you. In your mind or in your emotional self.
The Internet can be a stimulus and stir up some emotions, yes this is for sure. The important piece to remember is that it is something you can turn off or go to a different page or walk away from really easily.

The internet has played its role in how there have been many who have given or received bullying and in some instances resulted in suicides.
This is a worry of mine. Not that I feel any pressure from what anyone would say directly to me. My worry is for those who have a hard time separating themselves from the posts and anything that goes on on the internet.

Look at us now, lockdown possibilities during the Christmas shopping period. Perhaps the internet and internet shopping can be a saving grace that we can use the internet for finding all the right things for Christmas and pay less attention to any of the more negative posts or the bs that gets blasted daily onto our phones, tablets and computers.

The Internet is great. There are great ways to listen to podcasts, music, watch movies, shop, find comedy and humour.
Though I resist all of the time to get political and take aim at politicians and those in support of them, I guess I will maintain the idea of how it is the Internet and best left at that. Leave it where it is, online.

I actually use all the gross content filters I can find so as to have a more enjoyable experience browsing around the internet, I do get a nicer set of posts and things pop up as a result of setting these filters. The gross and the nasty are just not for me. I do not wish to see em so I have the filters set this way.

Be careful of your mind & keep an eye on your mental health while you surf the web and browse the content of posts. Enjoy as much as you can of the content that uplifts you and inspires you, enjoy doing your shopping and get excited for Christmas.
Pandemic vaccines are coming and the virus may soon become a thing of the past. Enjoy your time online and if reading is your thing, I got 4 books for you. All are available on Amazon and can be found on my website or author page ~ Aidan Mc Nally on amazon or at WordPress.

TWO sons TOO many ~ memoir (emotional)

17 & Life ~ memoir (real life)

My grief the last 3 years ~ (poems and blogs)

Layman’s Handbook, in life ~ Self-help (self-love self care)

Feel free to comment, share and retweet. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and an awesome Christmas (pandemic or not)