They are what I rely on to pull away when I need to, to be used as breaks when I need them. But they are not distractions for me. My sanctuary is the night. The computer danger is totally dependent on the personal structure. An addictive personality will inevitably find a focus for addiction just anywhere.
Isolation can only be helpful temporarily.
Feedback and the exchange of ideas are fertilizers one can hardly afford to be without. Most habits are self-produced nowadays and artists must avoid any mechanical repetition and stereotypes just as everywhere else. Generally i am more interested in personal exchanges, but artists are a very peculiar folk, and many lack any real interest in anything but their very own stuff - so few contacts last and stay interesting. I control potential net addiction and make it work for me by only answering email twice a day, at lunch and later in the evening after cleaning up in the studio. Stanley Sporny, Huntington.