How to Break Computer Addiction

[1Q84]

I was going to put this in the Lobby but I don't think anyone actually goes (or stays) in there...

 

Anyway, has anyone here successfully cured themselves of computer addiction? I find myself wasting so much time on random sites that I can't do the readings that I need to in order to prepare for my MA. It's really hard to tear myself away... and short of tossing my laptop out the window, I'm not sure what  to do.

 

Help!

[TeaGirl]

Sometimes I will set a time before which I'm not allowed to view my gmail, facebook, etc. I'm a morning person, so I usually pick 12pm or Lunch time. By then I'll usually find that have done quite a bit and get motivated enough that I don't waste too much time afterwards.

 

Your homepage should also be something that starts you off by being productive and in the "work" mood.

 

There's a program that you can install that will prevent you from accessing certain websites like facebook, youtube, or anything that you personally add to the list during a given window of time. I can't for the life of me remember the name right now, but check out this list of programs as some of them do the same thing.

Edited April 23, 2013 by TeaGirl

[Ambigiousbuthopeful]

Oh gosh, I'm in the same boat. Can't offer much advice since I repeatedly fail at this, only empathy. It takes a lot of resolve.

Some things that have helped me fend off the charms of the internet and focus on work:

Studying around other students. Try a change of location. coffee shop, library, whatever.

Reading over whatever I have already written, to get into work-mode and motivate myself.

If you don't need to be online for work then just don't connect to the net and use your laptop on offline mode. It's hard at first and then get easier. 

Edited April 23, 2013 by Ambigiousbuthopeful

[ak48]

you can edit your etc/hosts file and redirect the traffic to null (127.0.0.0) so that you can't access certain sites.

 

for example, if you redirect facebook.com to null, then whenever you try to go to the website you get a blank page. (removing the line will undo this).

 

if you really want to, then you can remove it, but' i've found that the little extra labor helps prevent me from goofing off.

[ak48]

you can edit your etc/hosts file and redirect the traffic to null (127.0.0.0) so that you can't access certain sites.

 

for example, if you redirect facebook.com to null, then whenever you try to go to the website you get a blank page. (removing the line will undo this).

 

if you really want to, then you can remove it, but' i've found that the little extra labor helps prevent me from goofing off.

 

here is a brief primer

 

http://www.trishtech.com/internet/redirect_block_sites_using_hosts_file.php

 

Here are windows instructions but for unix-systems (OS X, Linux) it's even easier (/etc/hosts)

 

so go into  c:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts  and open it with notepad

 

then add a line:

 

127.0.0.1  www.facebook.com

 

save file, then exit.

 

now whenever you go to facebook.com, it should take you to a blank page. to undo this, simply remove that line or add a # to the front to comment it out.

[Becks1]

Great ideas. I am terrible for this. Thanks!

[1Q84]

Definitely good ideas! Ha! Now if there's some workaround to disabling VLC player so I can't constantly be watching Parks and Rec or something...

 

Jeez, I sound like a terrible scholar.

 

Do most people have their "reading chair", or wherever you happen to read, in a separate room/area from where their computer is? I think I might have to resort to this.

[sociologo]

Here is an awesome Tumblr post with lots of tools to help with this very problem: http://ianthe.tumblr.com/post/35949231122/adhd-the-internet

 

I'm pretty sure most of the links still work. I was pretty excited when I stumbled across this a number of months ago - hope it helps some of you!

[ArtHistoryandMuseum]

When I am finished with what I'm doing on social media, I log out of any social media sites. That way, I have to re-log in to the website, and that extra step makes me stop and think if it's really worth it. Along that same line, I'd also change your social passwords to something hard to recall, like a bunch of numbers or something, so you don't have as easy access... I haven't gotten to this point yet, but I'm considering it.

 

For my phone, I do not have an app for Facebook. Not having that social media site only been a nuisance a couple of times, such as when I wanted to take a photo and share it with friends, but for the most part, I enjoy not having access to Facebook on my phone, because I am focused on the world around me, and the present moment.

 

I also turn off my laptop when it's not in use. Like the re-logging in, I am less inclined to start up my computer just for social media.

 

Anyway, I give you my support! Good luck!

[woosah]

I like the Firefox add-on call Leechblocker. You can create different lists of websites and set a time limit for how long you can be on them per day, week, etc. I also have it set up so that, while my time-wasting sites are being blocked, I can't adjust the settings. I only allow myself one hour per day during the week, which is long enough for me to check Facebook or my favorite boards a couple times a day without wasting a substantial amount of time.

 

If you have a friend you'd trust with your login information, you could have them change your password so that you don't have access to social media sites for a while. I know people who use this buddy system during finals because it's the only way they can get everything done.

 

The TV has presented another problem for me. I just had to hand my power cord over to my roommate until after finals :-/

[iowaguy]

I got rid of internet service at home so that I'm not distracted, one of the best decisions I have made to maximize productivity.  I still use the internet (obviously), but not having it at home forces me to prioritize what exactly I need to be searching/downloading from the net instead of mindless surfing...

 

Same thing for television, got rid of it at home so no distractions (I actually haven't had TV at home now for over 10 years).  Now contemplating doing the same with my cell phone

Edited April 24, 2013 by iowaguy

[especially]

Get a smartphone and become addicted to that instead?

I like the others above tend to use Leechblock for firefox, and Stayfocusd/ Productivity Owl are both good Chrome options.

You can also set your computer to automatically shut down at a given time, which works for me because I'm usually too lazy to wait for everything to reboot - Windows / Mac

I also tend to print out articles as much as possible because reading on screen hurts my eyes, and then I can read far away from the computer and no temptation to click over to another tab.

[hayhale]

When I was writing my undergrad honors paper, I lived by myself and was lucky enough to have an office nook. I chose to not buy a wireless router so that I had to sit down at my desk, and plug in an ethernet cable, to go online. I found that this set up was ideal since I associated the desk with work, I was less likely to waste hours in the internet back hole. Double bonus was that I did all of my reading in my living room curled up on my couch. I did have a tv, but I also had a DVR so I never felt the need to turn on the tv in the middle of a particularly productive day.

 

I think the main thing I took away from my method is the idea of intention. For example, not sitting in front of a tv, mindlessly checking facebook/email/etc. Everything I did was with intention, and my living space was set up to support it. 

 

Good luck!

[ruru107]

It can be helpful to get out of the house. I usually try to work on campus around many other students, especially if people can see what I'm doing. It keeps me accountable if I know everyone might judge me if they see me watching cat videos on YouTube instead of working. 

 

Also, your productivity will soar if you don't have internet at home. As iowaguy said, you will be forced to prioritize what needs to be done on the internet, and it won't be there to distract you when you're working offline.

[wildviolet]

Hi 1Q84! I have the same problem. For a period of a couple of weeks, I was super productive because I told myself that I could not access any social media or email until I was done with a certain amount of work (well, that didn't last long).

 

I've also tried Leechblock, but it's easy to turn it back on, so that didn't work for me. Part of figuring this all out, I think, is figuring out how I work. I have resigned myself to the fact that my mind tends to jump around a lot. The only time I am super focused is when I have an impending deadline (i.e., end of semester). In the end, as long as I get everything done, I don't worry too much about how or when it gets done. I still get 7-8 hours of sleep a night and go out for social dancing and dinner. As far as I can tell, my professors are just as addicted to their computers. My advisor and supervisor will email me at non-9-to-5 hours.

 

I will hopefully take a vacation soon where I will not bring my laptop and turn off the signal on my phone (just have it for emergency calls).