How many times has the following happened to you? You get online with intention of only checking your email and getting right off, not planning to spend more than ten short moments online… when you log off and look at the clock you realize that 90 long moments have elapsed!
You are not alone. With so many potential distractions on the net it is easy to lose focus and track of time as your browser bombards you with ads, links, games, and videos to explore.
I am a fan of a program called RescueTime, that tracks your not only temporary blocks your distractions but will also show you graphs of how you are spending your time online. You can sign up for a 14 day trial and then plans start at as little as $8-9 a month. According to the company, “On average RescueTime recovers 3 hours and 54 minutes worth of productive time per week per person.”
The company has also compiled a list of what their users have reported were the most draining time wasters online.
The list of the top 10 online distractions:
1. Facebook
2. YouTube
3. Facebook Applications
4. Twitter
5. Amazon
6. Hulu
7. Netflix
8. Flickr
9. Blogger
10. Reddit
ResceTime is not the only organization that is tracking the wasting of time online by Americans, the Nielsen Company recently published this interesting graphic that visually shows us how the average American reports to spending time online:
If you can’t answer how much time you waste online then it would be worth looking into to download a free trial of a software program like RescueTime so that you can begin to get an accurate picture of where your time online is REALLY spent. I talk to frustrated people all the time who feel like they are always working and never getting anything done– I remind them it is hard to get things done when you are tweeting about every action you make and commenting on each new post that your friends make on Facebook. Be intentional with your time online- make it count towards being productive, if you want to just surf the net, then set aside time outside of your work hours to do just that.
Do you know how much time you waste online and what sites tend to distract you the most?
