In the most widely read, Pico Iyer's "The Joy of Quiet," the author posits the idea that solitude is the new luxury. Getting away from your PC, your phone and your iPad, Iyer argues, will allow you to get absorbed in a book, a conversation or a piece of music and bring you joy. In another essay, "A Time to Tune Out," Roger Cohen cites the destructive effects of being addicted to one's BlackBerry.
Finally, Nick Bilton, writing in The Times's Bits blog, resolves to spend 30 minutes a day without his iPhone or any other electronics this year.
Perhaps, as 2012 dawns, you too are feeling the need to curb your Internet usage. You may find that it's a bit harder than you first thought. Try an "Internet Sabbath," for instance, and you may feel that it's all but impossible to get through a Saturday without checking your email or Twitter or your Words With Friends games.
For those of you who fall into this category, there are some software programs that may help you achieve your goal this year. After all, what's better to fight a software addiction than software itself? Below are a few programs out there that will keep you from breaking your digital resolution.
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