Hi, my name is Erica and...

...I'm addicted to AIM.

There. I took the first step, only good things can come of this, right?

I've realized recently how much time I spend chatting online. I spend hours. Hours that could be spent doing something else. Anything else. Hours I could spend reading, praying, homeworking, blogging, studying, hanging out with my friends, etc. I feel so silly that this is my vice.

This is not to say that AIM can't be used for good. AIM can be useful and fun. I'm just acknowledging the fact that I have spent more than an hour chatting online everyday for a year.

Yeah, now that I've admitted to it and now that I've seen it written down, I feel embarrassed.

I don't think I've ever acknowledged the fact that I have this addiction-type thing until about two weeks ago. I told myself that I was going to take a two week break from AIM. I wasn't even going to sign on. The starting date: September 29, ending date: October 13. The first two days I didn't sign on but I have been online uncountable times since then.

I feel like it's time for me to take the first step. Perhaps my blogging about it will offer a reminder and further encouragement. I don't think AIM is evil. I'd like to be able to chat online sometimes but I don't want to feel like I have to be online whenever I'm a little bored.

I'm tempted to try the two week rule again.

Is cold turkey the way to go? Or should I ease myself off AIM? But when can I go back on?

Ugh...curses. Some habits are tough to break.

Meh... and I just realized that I had been signed online the entire time that I was writing this.

This will be very tough.