[MBTI General] If your an online junky, your not an E

[Stigmata]

I think part of it is that most people crave social interaction but they just don't want to deal with the people in their personal life.

Right. My point was that you aren't avoiding social interactions by partaking in them exclusively online, you're just pacifying that same yearning extroverts have for sociability by doing so in a more selective and desirable medium.

 

[Thalassa]

Right. My point was that you aren't avoiding social interactions by partaking in them exclusively online, you're just pacifying that same yearning for sociability by doing so in a more selective and desirable medium.

Exactly, I am on forums, I chat with people on AIM or vent, and I also talk to people IRL - at least some - on a daily basis. I live with a bunch of roommates so I'm constantly exposed to people. I do use the phone more selectively, though. It's not like I'm hiding in a hole alone on the Internet all day.

 

[Glycerine]

On another vein, I usually seek out social interaction a lot more when I am stressed but away from the people or things who/are causing it....more like a distraction. Case in point, this forum. I post a lot more. hahaha, you know something is wrong with me when I talk excessively,I am being obnoxious, and I can't stop moving.

 

[Thalassa]

On another vein, I usually seek out social interaction a lot more when I am stressed but away from the people or things who/are causing it....more like a distraction. Case in point, this forum. I post a lot more. hahaha, you know something is wrong with me when I talk excessively,I am being obnoxious, and I can't stop moving.

I genuinely enjoy the discussions here with people. It's much more difficult IRL to just walk up to random people and start conversations with them about the ideas I'd like to discuss. I find many people dull, even if they're nice. They don't engage me intellectually. I think ENxx will be on forums more, for that reason, still seeking social interaction ...but seeking specific social interaction where they can have a lot of theoretical, idea-based discussions.

 

[skylights]

BULLSHIT

not only am i an E and an online junkie, i know plenty of Es (just off the top of my head an ENFJ, ESFP, ENFP) who are online junkies. we just interact excitedly with both worlds.

if anyone's ever enough of a stalker to look at my online patterns, it'll be like online for 5 hours at a time, then nothing for 10 hours. then 4 hours online. then nothing for 20 hours. then 2 hours. then nothing for 48 hours. then like 8 hours to make up for what i missed.

I think part of it is that most people crave social interaction but they just don't want to deal with the people in their personal life.

talking with you guys here helps me get my social fix if i'm not in a place where i can be very social or if i'm just annoyed with everyone in my life.

 

[Amethyst]

You can be an internet junkie and a social butterfly!

You might have to give up some sleep and other human necessities, however.

 

[Thalassa]

Being an extravert in the Jungian sense doesn't mean being a social butterfly.

 

[KDude]

In medieval Bulgaria, you would have been a true extrovert. I guess that's the downside of the net for a leading N type. Back then, you'd have no choice to feed your need for research except by exploring the world.. and reaping all of those little intangible benefits of direct experience to boot.

 

[Thalassa]

In medieval Bulgaria, you would have been a true extrovert. I guess that's the downside of the net for a leading N type. Back then, you'd have no choice to feed your need for research except by exploring the world.. and reaping all of those little intangible benefits of direct experience to boot.

LMFAO. I have explored the world, constantly, and meet new people all of the time. I have a lot of direct experience that other people don't. It's just that I'm older, I think, and have had to do things like keep a job and I don't feel the need as urgently to constantly change as I did when I was 18 or 20. Up until I was almost into my mid-twenties you couldn't really keep me in one place, at one job, or in a relationship.

I think a lot of people are sheltered compared to me. I don't know that any ENFP would be truly happy with *only* exploring the world through the Internet. I kind of think, though, that INxPs would be happy to live in a big pile of books as long as they kept learning, and had people that they loved to interact with.

 

[miss fortune]

*looks at post count*

oh shit... I guess I shouldn't be on here!

 

[KDude]

LMFAO. I have explored the world, constantly, and meet new people all of the time. I have a lot of direct experience that other people don't. It's just that I'm older, I think, and have had to do things like keep a job and I don't feel the need as urgently to constantly change as I did when I was 18 or 20. Up until I was almost into my mid-twenties you couldn't really keep me in one place, at one job, or in a relationship.

I think a lot of people are sheltered compared to me. I don't know that any ENFP would be truly happy with *only* exploring the world through the Internet. I kind of think, though, that INxPs would be happy to live in a big pile of books as long as they kept learning, and had people that they loved to interact with.

Yeah, I don't think it's necessarily the case. I'm just making a joke.

I don't know where I fall sometimes myself. I was more extroverted in my childhood and teens. My social circles closed after that. A lot of that had to do with my own conclusions and general wariness with some aspects of the world... I put the "brakes" on in a "Ji" kind of way. I established a better sense of value orientation. For example, ever since I quit doing drugs (about/around after highschool), I had a difficult time ever finding any healthy social niche to mobilize me. People everywhere around me were stepping it up with partying, while I was pulling back. I'd sometimes try to be friendly and give people the benefit of the doubt - only to fall back on my original conclusion. That what they were doing was retarded. I don't want to be around it. Additionally, I thought I could find more sober/sane social circles by going to church... only to find that they pissed me off in other ways. I get lost searching for meaning somewhere.. somewhere to belong.. and I often do it in a passive way. With reading or the net, for example. Lastly, I kind of have hated all of the jobs I've had, so I've jumped around and quit many of those easily, without forming any bonds.

 

[Sunny Ghost]

I'd say it's that... extroverts are less likely to become forum/chat junkies... but this isn't always the case. I know plenty of DEFINITE extroverts that also love to spend time online chatting, on forums, searching their interests or that are computer geeks as well.

And I don't think it's necessarily INFx's who are more likely to spend time online, but more likely to research and be drawn to mbti, and therefore forums much like this one.

 

[stalemate]

I am still curious what my fellow extroverts, specifically the NF's think about this (as NF's are people oriented).

The internet has people. Lots of them. All over the place.

 

[stalemate]

I became more of a forum junkie when I moved 800 miles across country and ended up working from home with no car in Tallahassee (not exactly a pedestrian or biking accessible city). I met everyone on my block pretty quickly and started using forums more too.

 

[Thalassa]

No, no. Maybe everyone on this forum should change their type to Ixxx right now.

 

[skylights]

You can be an internet junkie and a social butterfly!

You might have to give up some sleep and other human necessities, however.

yeah that's sort of how my life works

i don't sleep much

 

[KDude]

What's it mean when they say NFs are people oriented? I'm not sure I'm doing anything special there. Not even on the net. I don't chat often, don't have facebook, I haven't blogged about any outreach programs to save the world, etc..

 

[lunalum]

I'm confused now. I would think that online junkies would be somewhat evenly divided on E/I because the Internet itself is a form of external input. And the discussions happening online are often a lot more interesting than "in the real world."

 

[Santosha]

What's it mean when they say NFs are people oriented? I'm not sure I'm doing anything special there. Not even on the net. I don't chat often, don't have facebook, I haven't blogged about any outreach programs to save the world, etc..

THis is a good question KDude. What does people-oriented really mean? Anyone want to elaborate? I saw this as one who's interests lie more around people than things.

 

[Santosha]

I'm confused now. I would think that online junkies would be somewhat evenly divided on E/I because the Internet itself is a form of external input. And the discussions happening online are often a lot more interesting than "in the real world."

I don't know about an Entirely even divide... specifically for people spending tremendous amounts of time on forums. Maybe? I notice that as far as NF's go.. I don't see too many ENFJ's on forums and I wonder why that is... I also think the N outweights the S on this type of forum.. I attribute that to S preferring a concrete, practical world. Ultimately, I think my question involving ENF's online really comes down to being Ne dom. Maybe there are other reasons (as I previously mentioned the obvious arguments of forums still being social experiences and external events.)

Anyhow, it really doesn't matter as no one is 100% any preference. We use all our functions, blah blah... I really just wanted to see if there is indeed a pattern of more introverts online, and to explore the motivations of E's being online (ALOT).