An Excess of Skype

My roommate seems to be on his computer nearly every waking hour of the day. If he's not talking to family members or friends at home using Skype, he's playing Star Craft with a group of high school buddies logging on from around the nation. I know it must be extremely difficult to leave Honolulu, Hawaii to come to school in Indiana, especially when you know noone in this area, but is it really necessary to be online 24/7?

Skype, Star Craft, and other Internet "chat" applications are really inexpensive, convenient ways to keep in contact with people living thousands of miles aways. Just a click of the mouse and you are connected to everyone you've left behind at home. The Internet and these programs have greatly facilitated longdistance communication in this country and around the world. Using Skype, my roommate can not only speak to his parents but can see their faces, as well, on the screen of his computer. I think this fact has seemed to eliminate some of the homesickness that accompanies a nearly 4000 mile journey from home.

While this may be the case, I've found these longdistance chat programs to be extremely restricting as well. I mean, can you take a small break to step away from the blinding glare of the monitor screen? Shutting oneself in one's room while talking to friends thousands of miles away does not necessarily promote friend-making here. These Internet programs, while they can be helpful in moderation, are very harmful to shortdistance relationships when used in excess. Perhaps limiting the web-conversations to an hour or two a day and leaving the room more often would make Indiana feel more like a home away from home.