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Ask HN: How do you stop time wasting on the internet?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you stop time wasting on the internet?

#31

Post by Someone1234 »

_aavaa_ wrote: post #29

While the other comments are useful (either use more technology or self control) I don’t have think they really address the actual problem. Whenever I find myself doing this it’s always because I am avoiding something (either doing something or thinking about something). Find out what those things are, and deal with them.

> Find out what those things are, and deal with them.

That's up there with "just be more happy" (for depression), "just exercise," "just eat less food" (for obesity) in terms of being entirely unconstructive.

Yes, chronic procrastination is an avoidance technique but "just do it" isn't actually an effective strategy to overcoming it.

Here's a video that people suffering from this may actually find helpful:

https://youtu.be/sYhQMR8FrKc

It offers actionable advice and strategies.

Re: Ask HN: How do you stop time wasting on the internet?

#34

Post by somenameforme »

pshushereba wrote: post #22
TakeBlaster16 wrote: post #7

Add whatever site is sucking up your time to /etc/hosts.

Forgive my ignorance, but what does this do? I'm interested. Would I just add Twitter/Reddit/whatever to the file with an IP of 0.0.0.0 so it throws an error or something?

I prefer 127.0.0.1. That's a "self" IP that will redirect to your own machine. If you have no web server setup, it'll just give a 404/not found error. If you do have one, then you have some more creative options given you're visiting it as a result of going to site you're trying to wean yourself off of.

Re: Ask HN: How do you stop time wasting on the internet?

#36

Post by somenameforme »

GekkePrutser wrote: post #8

Is it really a waste? I work in IT security and I find HN (and some other sites) very useful. Much insightful stuff in the comments. I spend a lot of time here especially when I don't have anything better to do but I wouldn't call it a waste. If you had been on Facebook etc then yeah that is a total waste. I think you're doing pretty well already.

There's certainly plenty of great content here, but if you could see the hours you've spent on it, and it ended up amount to days, and weeks, perhaps months of time - it starts to become a consideration of imagining what else you could have done with that time. "If I'd spent those hours doing [x], I'd [insert desirable thing] by now!"

Of course shit posting is often much more enjoyable than "doing [x]" or we wouldn't be doing it in the first place, so there's some life balance issues - but it's a real consideration nonetheless. I often wonder how many Einsteins went without ever truly finding their niche; not because of lack of development in some area, but because of it! The internet can provide endless addictive entertainment and enjoyment, even of a higher brow nature. It's easy to lose yourself in it.

Re: Ask HN: How do you stop time wasting on the internet?

#37

Post by _aavaa_ »

Someone1234 wrote: post #31
_aavaa_ wrote: post #29

While the other comments are useful (either use more technology or self control) I don’t have think they really address the actual problem. Whenever I find myself doing this it’s always because I am avoiding something (either doing something or thinking about something). Find out what those things are, and deal with them.

> Find out what those things are, and deal with them. That's up there with "just be more happy" (for depression), "just exercise," "just eat less food" (for obesity) in terms of being entirely unconstructive. Yes, chronic procrastination is an avoidance technique but "just do it" isn't actually an effective strategy to overcoming it. Here's a video that people suffering from this may actually find helpful: https://yo…

My point wasn’t to say “just do it”, but rather “focus on this instead since it might be the actual problem”.

The other advice given if “install this software to block sites” may not actually work since without the sites they’ll just find for another way to distract themselves

Re: Ask HN: How do you stop time wasting on the internet?

#39

Post by themadturk »

akprasad wrote: post #6

I found it useful to focus less on reducing time on computers etc. and more on increasing time on the things I really cared about. To use a food analogy: when a person has a great and satisfying meal, they have much less appetite to binge eat a bag of chips.

Indeed. I make a commitment to read more books this year, and started a reading diary to help me along, and it has worked. My book reading is almost exclusively digital (Kindle, reading also on iPad and iPhone occasionally).

I also have almost entirely gotten off social media, helped by putting specific Twitter users and subreddits into my NewsBin feed, where it's much easier to avoid algorithm influence. I open the apps or websites only if I want to respond or ask a question.

Re: Ask HN: How do you stop time wasting on the internet?

#40

Post by NoMAD76 »

1st I make use of uBlock Origin filters and I blocked all distracting sources (social media, reddit, etc)

2nd I also blocked via browser any images so I have only text

3rd I try to learn or read about things that fit into my interest zone while avoiding anything else

4th Since I live with my gf I try to spend as much time as possible with her (talking mostly), this way we're both off the distracting internet sources

I value my time more since I'm in my mid 40s, I don't think I waste my time on the internet if I'm reading about something that (see point 3)

When I was a child and right after high-school, the internet was either non-existent or not-accessible. But I do believe that it's the most beautiful thing invented in the last century, it's mind blowing how much can you learn/see/find if you don't waste your time into scroll/click spiral.

If you know where to look/search, there are treasures everywhere on the internet.

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