What is the internet? Nowadays, the internet is the thing that allows our phones, computers and other devices to reach the world around us. Sure this is the common definition of the internet, but it has also been argued that the internet is something our generation, those of us who have grown alongside the internet, can’t live without. I beg to differ.
For a lot of people, going to college meant that we were given the opportunity to do many things we couldn’t before. For most, these things consisted of no longer having to ask to go somewhere or being able to finally decide whether or not they want to get their flu shot, but for me, it meant finally getting to experience constant WiFi. Yes, you heard me correctly, at home I do not have WiFi.
When you live in the middle of no man's land, on property that is so out there it isn't even considered a place of residency, you often experience the inability to have a WiFi router in your home. This has been my life for almost 10 years and frankly, I am tired of hearing all these things that I have had to respond to more times than I can count.
5 things that people who don’t have WiFi hate hearing.
1. “Did you see what I posted on Facebook last night?” No, obviously I didn’t. This one is very common, and sometimes I get it because these days, everyone has WiFi. So, when someone doesn’t, the vast majority doesn’t understand that. But, when we have been friends for a really long time and you have never known me to have the internet at home, you would think that this would not be the first thing you ask me.
2. “So you don’t have WiFi, like, ever? How do you have (insert social media here)?” Not having a router in our house doesn’t mean you never have the internet. We have a small thing called “MiFi” which is offered through Verizon and has the same data as my phone. This is something we cannot use all the time and eventually runs out before it is renewed monthly. So it’s not on all the time. Otherwise, most places around have WiFi like cafes and fast food restaurants.
3. “How do you survive without WiFi?” Yes, for some people it seems like it’s impossible to live without it. But when you don’t have it, WiFi becomes a novelty. Kind of like getting a treat, going somewhere with WiFi is something we get when we behave. When it comes down to it, WiFi really is something you can live without. When you don’t have something for a while, it becomes easier to live without it as time goes on.
4. “How do you not have WiFi? Everyone has WiFi.” OK, so maybe this one is a bit dramatic, but I do get asked how it works a lot. I understand that now almost everyone has a wireless connection in their home. It’s because of location and stubborn companies that refuse to bring us a connection because our address doesn't show up on Google Maps. And above all, there was never a phone line in our house so Verizon has told us it isn’t “cost efficient” for them to give us WiFi.
5. Anything that comes from a teacher's mouth. I don’t think you understand how often a high school teacher has said, “Can’t you use the computer at home?” or “Why didn't you turn in the assignment when I opened the forum last night?” Well, when you opened the forum, I had no access to internet, or even to a computer, so I turned it in this morning. The teacher usually follows with, “Why didn't you tell me about this?” to which I usually respond, “I have, several times, and it hasn’t helped, so I figured, why waste my breath?” This isn't all teachers, teachers are heroes in our communities, but we all know that one teacher who is exactly this kind.
Now, I’m not saying that having WiFi is a bad thing, not at all. I am simply saying it has become something I, and many others, have learned live without. Being on my phone doesn't seem like such a necessity and I don’t have an addiction to social media. If anything, I have become defective and when I have WiFi, I really don’t know what to do with it. Someday, maybe we will live in a world where everyone can get WiFi in their homes and when that day comes, there will be a new set of problems to annoy someone who is living without something. But that something won’t be WiFi.
