Hong Kong ( CNN ) -- This just in : Male Beliebers Exist . I know this thanks to a monitor installed in the newsroom that flashes the very latest trending topics on Twitter . What 's trending , as I write this sentence ? A few hashtag games like `` # OverusedWords , '' a tribute to former teen queen Hilary Duff , `` Hilary is our Cinderella , '' and `` Male Beliebers Exist , '' a reference to obsessive fans of Justin Bieber . On my desk I have a multitude of networked devices -- PC , iPhone , BlackBerry , iPad . No surprise there . The Internet dominates our workspace . But it literally owns our life space as well . Americans -- and that includes me -- spend at least eight hours a day staring at a screen . And more than one-third of smartphone users get online before they get out of bed . We all know by now that the Internet is not just a means of communication . It 's a parallel ecosystem , our digital state of nature . But how much of our Internet-based time is wasted time ? And how much is absolutely integral to our daily lives ? Read more posts from Kristie Lu Stout . DARPA may not have intended the Internet to be used this way , but I regularly find myself online to settle nagging pop culture questions . When was The Smiths ' first concert appearance ? Who wrote `` Before Sunrise ? '' Did Gilda Radner ever guest star in `` The Muppet Show ? '' A swift surf of IMDB.com or Wikipedia and *score* -- I have the answer . But then I end up wandering through various hyperlinks and suddenly it 's 3:30 am and I 'm watching back-to-back episodes of the Muppets in bed . I often wonder what blogger Paul Miller would do . As he 's on a year-long Internet fast , Miller would have to go to a local library and microfiche his way to pop culture know-how . Pulling the plug on the Internet . During his self-imposed Internet exile , Miller can not browse the Web -- not even over someone 's shoulder . He can not access NetFlix or other forms of streaming media . Nor can he pay bills online or send a text message . One month into his fast , I asked him why he decided to give up the Net for an entire year . `` I just wanted some time to myself and do some personal study , '' he said . `` I know I am most productive when I do n't have the Internet on . I disconnect , I unplug at a coffee shop with no Wi-Fi to get something done . So why not spend a year getting stuff done ? '' He describes his first day off the Net as calm and Zen-like : `` For me , it 's such a relief . No one can get hold of me . No one can infringe on my time -- text message me , email me or pull me out of my head space . '' But perhaps the greatest takeaway from talking to Miller and reading his regular updates , is knowing that the first generation to come of age on the Internet is becoming the first generation to realize that the Internet ai n't all that . `` Maybe a generation before me or my parents see the Internet as this perfect modern convenience of getting things done . But I know a lot of people my age just live on the Internet , and it fills all their free time , '' he added . `` The big thing I 'm trying to do is reclaim my free time . Right now , I 'm bored a lot . I 'm a little lonely too . But I 'm learning to fill that in with things that are not like browsing Reddit or hanging on the Internet . '' The Internet has become our hedge against solitude . I admit , I have been guilty of glancing at my smartphone to scroll down a social media feed and thus feel immediately plugged in . But over the years -- and especially since I 've become a parent -- I 've learned to wean myself away from an always online life to spend more face time with family , friends and real world things like parks , picnics and play dates . And yet the Internet is just so seductive . Some crave the sweet lightness of an Instagram sunset . Many are addicted to social media 's short-term rewards like scoring a re-tweet . And yes , a few of us enjoy an occasional hit of downward comparison by laughing at the mishaps of others on FAIL blog . But in addition to the fluff and frivolity , our lives require meaning and significance . Thankfully , that does happen -- and often -- on the Internet . Collective action online has launched groundbreaking new projects , saved women from human trafficking and sparked a revolution . The faces of Egypt 's 'Revolution 2.0 ' But as much as we want to give our modern lives weight , it ca n't be just that . We desire the sweet frivolities of the Internet as well . And like real world junk food , a spoonful of click-through sugar can be good for the soul every now and then . This just in : CNN anchor looks at FAIL blog . Occasionally . Only on Fridays .
Kristie Lu ##tz : The Internet dominates our workspace and thus our life , as well . Many Americans spend at least eight hours a day staring at a computer or smartphone screen . " Paul Williams goes on year - long self - imposed Internet ban to improve his life . ` ` I know I am most productive when I do n't have the Internet on . I disconnect , '' he says .