Ask HN: Are you an information addict?

Do you check your phone too much? HN? Digg? Your email?

Are there things you really need to do rather than sit here and read HN?

What are you doing to deal with this?

I'm a massive information addict. The problem is that there are always things that need to be done.

I'm going to google information addiction now, see you in a week.

How are you doing it? Care to elaborate?

I am trying to use the Pomodoro technique - focus hard for 25 minutes, then relax for 5. This of course requires closing down mail, Twitter etc apps while a Pomodor is running.

Unfortunately I still have problems, it is far too easy to open up a browser window and start looking at Hacker News, Digg, Engadget etc. I am thinking about making my own Pomodoro script which puts all my favourite timewasting sites in /etc/hosts where I can't reach them.

Definitely an info addict here, in your terms... I like to think I let that information come to me through email, one of the only mediums I check and if not, I let my natural curiousity drive me. However, rather than an addict, which might be acceptable, I prefer to call it a case of being a human sponge. I consider the stimulation of my brain to be a great exercise and therefore of great importance, having learned it from a late family member through anecdotal evidence of them having lived a very long and intelligent life. Of course, even too much of a good thing can be bad, so a healthy balance should be encouraged.

I can't help but point to this: http://www.ehow.com/how_2070387_keep-aging-brain-active.html

Scroll down to where it says "Exercise the Brain". While I believe the 1st notation is obvious - exercise both body and brain of which I do to deal with it, not everyone has the energy to keep a regular physical regiment. However, I practically endorse #2: Keep your brain active every day. Play trivia games, do crossword puzzles, word games or read daily. and #3: Start something new to challenge your brain. Take up a brand new hobby, learn a new language or write a book. Get on the computer and research something that interests you, like genealogy or your family history.

To answer your question, sitting here and being an info addict are quite possibly two different things. It's all about prioritization and balance - in that case maybe a better question might be: could one instead be a HN addict?