Second, it may be that the Internet activity itself is somehow to blame. For example, it is possible that many of the social relationships people maintain online are less substantial and sustaining than relationships that people have in their actual lives. Moderation in the use of the Internet, as in most activities, is sensible. But perhaps more importantly, people should pay attention to how they use the Internet and the cost of the time devoted to the Internet. Compared to television, with its relatively small variety of programs, the range of Internet experiences is vast, giving us much more choice and control.
Many online activities are valuable.
But we should not be seduced into wasting time online just because it is easy to do. The principal user-level services offered, including email, Web access, chat, and newsgroups, are legacies of days when the Internet was used primarily by technical and professional people in offi ces. We see many opportunities for improvement as the domestication of the Internet proceeds. For example, the buddy lists in AOL s Instant Messenger and ICQ and the protected Web sites in Hewlett-Packard's Message Board are innovations that may make conn ection more beneficial in the home. Opportunities for improvement also exist in networking and computing technology.