The Internet is taking over man’s normal way of living, so therefore when we consider time management, we must also consider the World Wide Web.

It used to be to manage time; we had to consider family, friends, work, and ourselves.

Now we have to consider emails, websites, advertising, marketing, and other key factors that are including in businesses today.

At one time in our lives, we went to work for eight hours and returned home.

Now we go to work and it is never determined what our workload will include.

Time management is critical for saving us from headaches, heartaches, and other types of pressures. When we manage our time accordingly, we seem to function well in society and at home.

The flood of data that passes us each day via the Internet has changed the entire outlook of time management in the last few decades. When we go to work, we often have to sift through a pile of emails, sorting to find out which ones matter the most.

Sometimes we may stumble upon emails that surprises or interest us. This is not good!

Time management means to spend your time wisely, and if you are sitting around reading an interesting email, where is your time going?

The fact is most advertising are slicks that draw us into a world of fantasy. We often stare into the hands of something that lures us deeper into its web, and if we decide to act on the slick, we often find ourselves regretting the stupidity of acting.

Don’t find yourself saying, “I regret this action.” Rather find yourself saying, “Darn it was a wonderful day.” Life is way too short to waste precious time. When you are drawn away by flaky advertisings, your time is consumed, and your job, family, friends, and you suffer.

Surfing the web is another source that can take our time and toss it out the door.

When we are surfing the web, many interesting topics may confront us. Or, sometimes we see pop-ups that distract us from our intentional goal. Pop-ups for the most part are consistent fakes that interest the human eye, in an effort to distract us from the real world.

The interesting topics on the Internet can benefit us in many ways, but if we are at work, our main focus should be work. Once we finish our job, and other tasks are not scheduled on our list, then we can browse the World Wide Net with freedom.

We can also consider the chat room. Some companies make available chat rooms for their employees. This is good if you are using the program for work, but many of us are caught up in a game of cat and mouse. The chat rooms are so appealing at times, that it makes us want to stay on for hours.

Chatting is a source of communication, which is good, but if the time you are spending in the chat room is not making progress, what is your purpose?

To obtain sufficient time management, you need to avoid the areas that consume, and focus on the areas that make you zoom.

Many experts have declined to comment on the status of the internet addiction disorder for a long time. It was not really intended to be part of the wide array of disorders that threaten the modern person’s sanity at that time but as move on into the digital era, the very idea of internet addiction as a form of diseases is no longer remote. In fact, many health professionals are now convinced that too much attachment or destructive type of dependency on the internet can already be classified as a form of disease. Yes, there are still a lot of criticisms and discussions to be resolved before this type of disorder can be included in the books but the possibility that this type of disorder will indeed become a leading form of mental disorder in our generation is not really remote.

What most people online who think they are addicted are probably suffering from is the desire to not want to deal with other problems in their lives. Those problems may be a mental disorder (depression, anxiety, etc.), a serious health problem or disability, or a relationship problem. It is no different than turning on the TV so you won’t have to talk to your spouse, or going “out with the boys” for a few drinks so you don’t have to spend time at home. Nothing is different except the modality. What some very few people who spend time online without any other problems present may suffer from is compulsive over-use. Compulsive behaviors, however, are already covered by existing diagnostic categories and treatment would be similar. It’s not the technology (whether it be the Internet, a book, the telephone, or the television) that is important or addicting — it’s the behavior. And behaviors are easily treatable by traditional cognitive-behavior techniques in psychotherapy.

People who work online and spend so much time working in front of their computers are not exactly what you may call as internet addicts. Internet addiction is much more than just spending some time online trying to earn a living. In fact, even if you spend several hours surfing the net but you do feel this obsessive need to be online most of the time, you cannot really say that you are already an addict. We must understand that addiction is a strong word and before you can say that you are addicted to something, you must have that uncontrollable and insatiable craving for that something. Internet addiction therefore should be viewed in a more complex manner than just simple need to be online most of the time.

When exactly can you be considered as an internet addict? According to some experts, internet addiction happens when one becomes dependent on some aspects of the internet. Having a pathological relationship with some specific online sires such as those online gambling, online auctions, adult sites and others can actually make one an internet addict. A lot of people who are hooked on these sites often become agitated and restless if they cannot log into the internet and check out these sites during the day. In fact, some people are known to spend long hours on these sites that they often forget some themselves. In most cases, internet addicts face their computer the whole night that they can no longer function well during the day. According to some experts, denying this person access to the internet may result to extreme anxiety and withdrawal symptoms.

I have a 6-year-old boy so the movie “Cars” has been a big hit in our house. He saw the movie in the theater and we have all watched it several times since it came out on DVD. I have come full circle in my appreciation of the movie. The first time I wanted to see it because he had enjoyed it so much. Then repeated viewings got on my nerves. However now I have come to appreciate the important life lessons my son — and I — can learn from this family-friendly movie. Even if you do not have a child who wants to see the movie, I suggest you check it soon to see what you can take away from the experience.

The single most important lesson that we can take away from “Cars” is the importance of teamwork. The main character learns an important lesson that is easily understood by children that no one can succeed alone. Lightning McQueen learns that not only do we need friends in our times of need but that we gain from helping others as well. By the end of the movie, he fully appreciates the value of friendship in living a happier and more fulfilled life. We can all benefit from learning how to be a good friend.

When the movie opens, Lightning McQueen is a winner and he considers winning the most important (if not the only important) focus of his life. Obviously, this holds true for much of what our society and culture teaches children (directly and indirectly) when we know as mature adults that winning is not everything. Lightning learns that there are many things more wonderful in life than winning. By the end of the movie, while he still wants to be a winner he is a much happier person because he has other ways to measure himself a success.

Finally, “Cars” teaches us that doing the right thing can be rewarding. This encompasses lessons that Lightning learning including completing a job well done and helping others. In the end, his decisions to do the right thing rather than focusing on winning at all costs turns out to be far more rewarding.

While I am the first to admit that most of us need to mitigate the impact of media and popular culture on our children, I think it is important to celebrate the movies and television shows that have a positive effect. The movie “Cars” is a positive influence on children because it teaches three important life lessons including working together, winning is not everything, and being a good person can be rewarding.