[westmanguy]

This post is a little ironic considering the nature of my question, haha.

This is my thing. I find the internet and just my MacBook Pro in general almost decreasing my productivity at university. And, yes, I realize the issue is my lack of discipline and its not the laptop/internet's fault. I take ownership of that. But do you any of you feel that with all the distractions that you end up decreasing your productivity at school or work?

Its just so damn easy...

For example, I do this all the time and I'm sure many here to do to. You go online initially with a specific purpose in mind. You need to find this piece of information. Then you get to the Wikipedia article, and you find out your answer, but then another keyword jumps out at you. You click it and read the subsequent article. And so on and so forth.

Or Facebook...or Gmail...or Twitter...or the freaking news is my weakness! I can spend over an hour just reading on websites like CTV News, The Globe & Mail, HuffingtonPost.ca, CBC News, Vancouver Sun, CNN, etc. etc. etc.

I mean I'm educating myself on the current issues of the day and the different perspectives on them, but its a major distraction from the tasks that are actually before me (like readings, doing paper research, completing assignments, etc.)

Its getting to the point for me I purposely leave my laptop in my room and don't take it to some lectures. Even though I have a 120+ WPM typing speed and typing is such a fluid and easy format of recording information for me, I'm more focused if I have a good 'ol pen and paper. Cause the damn Chrome browser is right there and I can just drift off away from my .docx window.

This is more of a rant, but I'm wondering if others struggle with this same lack of discipline issue...

[Bruce_E_T]

westmanguy wrote:

This is my thing. I find the internet and just my MacBook Pro in general almost decreasing my productivity at university. And, yes, I realize the issue is my lack of discipline and its not the laptop/internet's fault. I take ownership of that. But do you any of you feel that with all the distractions that you end up decreasing your productivity at school or work?



I mean I'm educating myself on the current issues of the day and the different perspectives on them, but its a major distraction from the tasks that are actually before me (like readings, doing paper research, completing assignments, etc.)

I think it is a matter of being able to draw a line between productivity and cyber-tourism. If you have classes to attend, assignments etc. they have to come first rather than touring around following interesting links. Being informed is important and, in the longer term, knowledge and the ability to find it are important but not at the expense of present tasks. I think it is just a matter of finding a system that works for you to effect the separation

[Regina]

D-i-s-c-i-p-l-i-n-e

[Bruce_E_T]

Regina wrote:

D-i-s-c-i-p-l-i-n-e

Check your dictionary.

[andyt]

westmanguy wrote:

This post is a little ironic considering the nature of my question, haha.

This is my thing. I find the internet and just my MacBook Pro in general almost decreasing my productivity at university. And, yes, I realize the issue is my lack of discipline and its not the laptop/internet's fault. I take ownership of that. But do you any of you feel that with all the distractions that you end up decreasing your productivity at school or work?

You just can't remember the bad old days. Try typing papers on a typewriter. I'm a terrible typist - I make lots of typos. I wound up resorting to erasable bond so I wouldn't have to re-type a whole page because I made an error at the bottom. Erasable bond smears really easily, so my profs always got these blurred, dirty looking papers. I said hallelujah when I got a computer for grad school.

And then it's the ADD of the younger generation - you guys don't seem to be able to focus on one task anymore, always have to be doing multiple things at once. Apparently it's rewiring your brain, but it's not all good.

[stokes]

I agree completely WMG...for example I should be painting my bathroom right now

[Gunnair]

stokes wrote:

I agree completely WMG...for example I should be painting my bathroom right now

I should be writing... and not in an internet forum!

[commanderkai]

It honestly goes both ways. I've had many moments where I should be focused on studying or research, and yet I was exploring the Internet...and yet, I know for a fact I'd go insane looking up individual journals in paper format. The motivation just needs to be there

[Psudo]

Computer programming is kinda hilarious that way: anyone who knows enough to automate computer processes that way also knows enough to find a hundred distractions on any computer. Programming for private, for-fun projects cannot be banned without impeding the programmer's ability to program for the major project they're paid for. Focus is as valuable as skill, maybe more.