Editor's addiction

With my Sidekick cell phone always in my pocket, I loved checking my Facebook and tweeting on Twitter. As soon as my alarm clock (which is my Sidekick) went off, the first thing I used to do was to check my e-mail (Sidekick has e-mail capabilities, too) and log on to Facebook and tweet. I sometimes just logged on to the accounts and not even update. Just logging on for the sake of logging on had become a part of my daily routine.

I tweeted constantly, usually about nothing. "I like cheeseburger" or "The traffic BLOWS!!!!!!" were some of the not-so-intelligent things that I usually tweeted. I did not update my Facebook status as often as my Twitter, but I checked other's status often.

However, as the deadline for Warrior Life magazine was getting closer and I started to freak out, I decided to cut off Twitter and Facebook out of my life until May 15 when the magazine goes to the printer. It seemed like a brilliant idea, until today when i started to have Twitter and Facebook withdrawals.

Because my Sidekick has a bookmark tab like a computer, I used to have Twitter and Facebook on it for easy access. I deleted them off of the bookmark and left only CNN and the weather. Now I constantly check the weather and CNN. I frantically check them to ease the urge to Tweet about me wanting to tweet. I now know the weather for the next two weeks and read every front page stories on the CNN mobile Web site.

As I was walking down the street to get lunch today, I saw two students crossing the street screaming and laughing. I wanted to tweet, "Ppl needs to learn how to behave in public," but all I got on my Sidekick screen was today's weather: High 65, Low 50.

Am I the representation of this generation or am I just an addict?

I constantly think about tweeting or checking people's Facebook pages.

The question is, am I more productive without Twitter and Facebook? The answer is, unfortunately, yes. I cannot describe how much more I got done today. I've edited more stories than ever, and I'm even posting a new blog post.

But, like any addict, I get the withdrawal symptoms. I get irritated when others around me tweet. When people talk about Facebook, I yell, "Well, I can't go on Facebook!" While these symptoms may seem harmless, I feel bad for those around me.

So far I've been fighting the temptation to log on. Whether this addict will overcome her addiction and finish the magazine on time are something we just have to wait and see.