The Internet, It's a Distracting Place...

So on any given day, when I get home from class, the last thing I want to do first (hehehe, see what I did there?) is start on my homework.

Some people can do this, no dissing whatsoever here, that's just not my cup of tea.

I need my relaxation, a snack, and a healthy dose of the internet.

It's pretty typical that I come home, grab some food, plop down on "my spot" on the couch, curl up under a blanket and get sucked into my computer. 

Sometimes I'm lucky, and after a half hour or so, I pull myself out and do my homework. Other times...not so much.

It'll get to a point where both roommates have gone to bed, I'm sitting in the same spot on the couch and I finally look up at the clock. OH MY GOSH! How'd it get to be 3am so fast!

Darn internet!

So, one night I forced myself to go to bed at a reasonable time, but because I had been up so late so often, I was, of course, wide awake. So I started thinking about ways to stop myself from getting distracted, and I thought of all of the different distracting elements and then....

VOILA! DING! LIGHTBULB FLASHING!

(there really was one flashing...my bedside clock flashes colors)

I should write about how distracting the internet is on my blog!

(Um. I just had a moment where I realized this is probably one of the weirdest, and possibly stupidest ideas I've ever had. I apologize, but I'm going to keep going with this...sorry)

And then I was like... I could make a whole series out of it! Highlighting each part!

(Wow. I'm insane. My only argument is that I was trying to get to sleep at 2am...not a good time to get particularly sane thoughts sometimes.)

So here we go...I'm going to write a couple of posts about the different distracting qualities of the internet. I think my goal out of all of this is to see how many people get caught in the same traps I do. Maybe we can work together to get out of this internet quicksand/blackhole thing! Yipee!

So here's the first perpetrator. 

FACEBOOK

(please, imagine a rather dramatic dun dun dun in the background. This is how my brain works)

Now. I will take note, most of you are probably here from the facebook universe. I mean, that's how I spread the word about this lovely blog. 

Now facebook isn't so bad. Really. There are some total pros! I can keep in contact with those people that are far away, and its way more interactive than talking over the phone. And for the most part I'm merely reading people's statuses, looking at recent photos, and updating my own profile. It doesn't really take much time and isn't particularly crazy. I mean, I could get away with only spending a grand total of five minutes on facebook, but I don't.

See here's the issue, its the whole Facebook stalking thing... and yes, I will admit, I'm a total creeper guys, I read EVERYTHING.

Ahahahah, I'm just joking. I don't stalk people THAT much.

please don't hate me. or unfriend me. I like you.

So it's pretty easy to get caught up looking at one's photos, reading funny posts, and getting linked into other websites because of that which is posted on facebook.

(I hope this is your current problem. like RIGHT NOW as you read this post. Cause you came from FB right? and you clicked on the link right? Have I distracted you? Yes? YES!)

It can start with someone's new profile picture by a professional photographer. I then look up the photographer, and then I'm connected to another, and another and another...

same goes for blogs. :D

Wait... we were talking about FB... how'd we get to blogs? SEE I'M TELLING YOU...I can't even keep it to FB when I'm writing about it.

And that's the danger of Facebook. Not the site itself, but what it connects you to. To other people, who post distracting things, that I follow because I'd rather be reading random crap online than actually doing my American Heritage homework (as evidenced by my now failing grade in the class. Don't worry people, it's only temporary. Didn't realize that there was a late policy...hehehe)

For a while, it was pretty easy to cut my facebook time down because of my iPhone, which limited what I could actually link to because all of the photos, websites and such were too small and annoying to read on that screen. Plus it was way slower than my liking.

But I hated the notification thing on my facebook app. I'm one of those people who has to have an empty voicemail box and all of my apps updated cause I can't stand the little notification thing.

So I turned the notification thing off and now I only use it to upload pictures.

bleh. So now what do I say? I've proven Facebook is a distraction. So I guess I must ask, am I a total freak? Or is this a pit many fall into as they stalk their time away?

And maybe some solutions? 

I've liked a bunch of pages that just post funny pictures and the like several times a day. Maybe unlike them. Less stuff to look at the less distracting right? Let the distracting stuff come from your friends, that's more important anyway....in the grand scheme of what distracts you.

Now this may sound really really weird, but check it multiple times a day. I find I read the new stuff, but there's not much, and I get bored faster...so weird. If I don't check it for a long time, I actually get more distracted rather than if I checked it...uh, three times in a day.

So there you have it. Facebook's distracting abilities in a nutshell.

Note: this is merely the result of self-reflection, I am not responsible for any addictions resulting from information on this post. :D

Oh, also, total Facebook pet peeve. POLITICAL POSTS. Oh goodness... I totally hate it. I mean, people are allowed to network and share their opinions. And I've definitely been known to share a political opinion, article or video every once and a while, but if you're doing that on a daily basis, shoving your opinions down other people's throats, you're just making them upset and angry.

The more often it happens, the more I'm going to ignore you, and more set against those beliefs I'm going to be. There's a time and a place for political discussions, but on the internet where no one can see each others' faces, feelings get hurt and resolutions aren't made.

So my piece of advice, don't post political stuff unless it's a very compelling thing that you believe is particularly thought-provoking. Don't try and change people's minds.

And if you're one of those people who looks at political stuff ALL OF THE TIME, and cares deeply about it, then stay on the websites where that happens. Yes, you may have a political circle on facebook, but all of your other friends who aren't in that place, and don't care, get annoyed very fast, and have a tendency to unfriend or block you (and no, I'm not ashamed to admit, I've done that before)

Alright. There's my piece. My rant is done.

Headed up to Logan this weekend to visit family for General Conference! Hopefully I'll have some new photos for you next week! YAY!

Remember

Live, Laugh, Photograph.