my autistic brain wasnt meant to handle using the internet

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and modern technology. I really feel this is the cause of my extreme mental fatigue and chronic brain fog. For the past 10 years I've spent more hours than I can count surfing the internet, flipping from channel to channel, constantly checking my iphone, skipping from song to song on my ipod, binge watching tv shows online,etc. I believe that doing all of that has short circuited my brain and left me with awful brain fog. I don't think that human beings, but ESPECIALLY people on the autism spectrum, were meant to process all this information. I'm probably experiencing sensory overload on a daily basis. No wonder why I feel like all the time. Just think of how many hundreds of thousands of year we've been around. Information used to be very scarce for almost all of those hundreds of thousands of years. But over the last 20 years, but especially the last 5 to 10 years, we're bombarded with new information all the time. And I don't think that's good for us.

The internet and modern technology are the only things keeping me sane.

I can't say about autistics in general but I can say about myself. I don't handle computers, cell phones and all well either. The brightness of the screen gives me awful headaches and something about them makes me freaking tired, maybe too much information or things that make me emotional/anxious like talking in the WP forums or the way it makes me impatient and frustrated over small(er) things.
so I avoid technology and I noticed that the days when I don't use them much I feel less tired, calmer, less frustrated, more productive and happy.
I read that spending too much time on devices in general makes people less tolerant and patient, so this part probably isn't an autism thing. But being tired etc because of too much information and movement and images etc may be related.
that's why I try to spend no more than 15 minutes on it, I go to WP to check the news because I am getting addicted and then I go do something else.
unfortunately I can't get rid of the tech devices because nowadays everyone use email, whatsapp, Facebook. For instance I call a secretary asking for a document or something and they say: you have to do it online. Grrr even the university professors use it now. I go to a class and when I get there there is no class, then I talk to someone on whatsapp and they tell me professor told us by Facebook group. Grrr

I do not think that a blanket statement can be made about Autistic Spectrum Individuals and the internet... my Sister and I (asperger's diagnosed) both spend a great deal of time on the internet, listening to music on our MP3 players and the like... and it is a NECESSARY part of our daily routine

I think these issues have less to do with Autism and more to do with you individually. People Autistic or not can tolerate different levels of internet and technology usage. As for me personally i'd have to agree with what was stated above in that technology and computers are what has kept me sane all these years.

I feel guilty when I spend so much time on the Internet when I should be doing healthy and productive things like drawing pictures, writing stories, or going out walking and exercising. Of course those things were enjoyable when I was younger but not so much now. I find just making up a 3-page short story with two illustrations to be a lot of hard work. When I was in my early 20's I'd spend hours writing an illustrating stories that would be dozens of pages long. ...Hold on, my Simpsons Tapped game has just finished downloading!

I feel better when I don't spend too much time online for various reasons:

1 Staring at the screen can hurt my eyes and give me a headache (it is also why I dont get a kindle and still prefer to read directly from a book. It takes me longer to read electronic media as I have to keep looking away to rest my eyes).

2 I find it disruptive to my sleep cycles, especially if using the net in the evening before bed

3 I don't get enough physical activity if I stay online for too long and that makes me feel sluggish. It is probably also another thing that it affects my sleep, as well as my weight and general levels of fitness.

4 Whilst some posts are interesting and informative or funny and entertaining there is a lot of negativity out there and I have other things I want to do other than watch people arguing. The drama also disrupts my sleep, especially I get drawn into it.

Thinking about it numbers, 1 and 3 are definitely true for me if I let my online time get to excess. Getting outside for some physical activity makes a big difference in how I feel.

Why not turn off your computer, iPhone and iPod?

I've been trying but it's very hard. I'm extremely addicted to it.

Ummm... necessary... really??? That doesn't sound healthy.

I don't see how it's necessary either except for work related things.

It's bad for me for all the reasons you said, I have perpetual brain fog and information overload and it hurts my eyes. But I am totally addicted because it is like a giant library. I WANT the information I just can't process it all.

Music is a necessity to me. when i feel overwhelmed, my music collection is a reset as such. deprive all other senses and just listen to some incredible music until i feel okay enough to function again.

I am also sorting the internet as an ongoing thing. i dont feel that the massive amount of information available is a problem. i think it is positively fantastic. then i can work towards making it make sense. I like the idea that with enough motivation and an internet connection, you can become a subject matter expert on really specific fields so much quicker than pre-internet days.

Using the Internet and other modern technology is my way of living for today, in the present on my terms and not the terms of the people who want to change me to be more like them, which will never happen.

You are speaking of "being bombarded", when on the other side you are describing, that you choose yourself to do all that various things you mentioned. Simply back off from all that stuff and refuse to join in.

I dont avoid all technology by all means, but I simply care for using it in an way, that supports me. I dont buy a phone, so that others can stress me with texting messaging and expecting me to message back immediately. I buy and pay my phone to use it the way I want. That means for phoning. Text messages get answered at the evening, after I am done with my work. Because before I still got work to do, on which I want to focus. I dont give a f**k if an smartphone gives me the ability to instantly read every E-mail I got. I have no interest to do so.

Dont let others force on you, how you shall use your technology, and use it yourself in an way that comforts you. If you actually dont feel comforted by listening music all the time, then dont do so.

Technology exists to comfort you, not to stress you. You are using the word information, when in reality, what you are describin is only an overload of sensory input and social stuff. Listening to music on your ipod or constantly checking for Emails is not about gathering new informations. ^^