HOW TO AVOID SOCIAL MEDIA DISTRACTION WHILE LEARNING ONLINE...
If you’ve fallen into the habit of constantly browsing social media and news sites when you should be paying attention to your lecturer, here are 6 tips that will help you get back on track.
1. KEEP IT OUT OF YOUR REACH UNTIL NECESSARY
If you feel like limiting screen time still won’t be effective, then actually turning off your phone can make a huge difference. Next time you grab it to unlock the screen, you’ll be forced to pause and consider what you’re about to do. If you’re the type of person that unlocks their phone every few minutes, then this tip is for you.
However, if you want to go the extra mile then you can leave your phone in a place where it’s out of reach from you, far away from where you work and study – or ask someone else in your household to keep it for you till your class is over or assignment is in.
2. MINIMIZE YOUR SCREEN TIME
3.Silence all nonessential notifications.
Nothing is worse than having constant pings, buzzes, whistles, and bells throw off your concentration. And if you’re someone who can’t help but check their phone or social media every time a notification comes through, you probably know the frustration of spending two hours on schoolwork only to find that you’ve made very little progress.
To alleviate yourself of these distractions, make sure to temporarily silence all nonessential notifications when you are working online. That includes applications on your phone, tablet, computer, and any other personal electronics that could be considered distracting.
When it comes to your computer, make sure you close all nonessential applications to prevent notifications from popping-up on your screen. That should include any social media, video chat, instant messaging, or gaming apps. In addition, unless you plan to use it for studying purposes, closing your email is also a good tactic to prevent getting distracted online.
As for your mobile devices, put the ringer on silent (not vibrate) and turn off notifications from apps that can serve as a distraction (e.g. social media, games, etc.). You can even try setting your mobile device in a different room or somewhere not within immediate reach to eliminate the temptation of constantly checking.
4. Block access to distracting websites.
Do you ever find yourself mindlessly typing in the URL to a social media website only to get there and realize you don’t know why you wanted to go there in the first place? Again, me too.
If you’re someone who might want a little more impulse control, then you might be interested in getting a free third-party application or browser extension that blocks access to distracting websites. Third-party extensions, such as StayFocused and Block Site on Google Chrome, allow you to create a blacklist of distracting websites and then easily activate when you plan to study. For example, if you mindlessly begin to type the URL for your favorite social media channel, you’ll be greeted with a sad puppy reminding you that you’re still in the middle of studying. Then, when you’ve finished your online schoolwork for the day, simply turn off your blacklist until you plan to study online again.
5.Keep track of your screen time
During the pandemic, many adults worked from home, traveled less, did not dine out as much and turned to their screens more often to stay connected. But now that things are opening again, it may be a good time to take stock of your screen time and set screen limits.
Smartphones now have screen time functions that allow you to check your daily and weekly usage and make adjustments, such as setting usage limits for social media apps. If you set a limit, you’ll get a screen notification saying your time is up.
When it comes to your computer, make sure you close all nonessential applications to prevent notifications from popping-up on your screen. That should include any social media, video chat, instant messaging, or gaming apps. In addition, unless you plan to use it for studying purposes, closing your email is also a good tactic to prevent getting distracted online.
As for your mobile devices, put the ringer on silent (not vibrate) and turn off notifications from apps that can serve as a distraction (e.g. social media, games, etc.). You can even try setting your mobile device in a different room or somewhere not within immediate reach to eliminate the temptation of constantly checking.
4. Block access to distracting websites.
Do you ever find yourself mindlessly typing in the URL to a social media website only to get there and realize you don’t know why you wanted to go there in the first place? Again, me too.
If you’re someone who might want a little more impulse control, then you might be interested in getting a free third-party application or browser extension that blocks access to distracting websites. Third-party extensions, such as StayFocused and Block Site on Google Chrome, allow you to create a blacklist of distracting websites and then easily activate when you plan to study. For example, if you mindlessly begin to type the URL for your favorite social media channel, you’ll be greeted with a sad puppy reminding you that you’re still in the middle of studying. Then, when you’ve finished your online schoolwork for the day, simply turn off your blacklist until you plan to study online again.
5.Keep track of your screen time
During the pandemic, many adults worked from home, traveled less, did not dine out as much and turned to their screens more often to stay connected. But now that things are opening again, it may be a good time to take stock of your screen time and set screen limits.
Smartphones now have screen time functions that allow you to check your daily and weekly usage and make adjustments, such as setting usage limits for social media apps. If you set a limit, you’ll get a screen notification saying your time is up.
You can take back control of your screen time by checking how much time you are spending in front of the screen for something other than work or school and replace any unnecessary usage with non-screen activities, such as going out for a walk.
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