The internet can really be our enemy. It sucks our time down a rabbit hole that is impossible to get
back. Since, I’m now freelancing from home and writing during most of the day, it is essential that I’m as productive as possible.
SELF CONTROL is a FREE app that is essential for me and my work. If I sit down to write or edit video, I turn this app on. It works quite simply, you add websites that are your biggest distractions to your BLACK LIST, and then you set a time limit (for me – I always default to three hours). You then get three hours of distraction free computer time.
Four years ago, I started writing a book about educational technology. At that point, I believed that the only thing that could save education was technology. I felt that we needed EVERY student and teacher to be taught how to use technology.
Today, I believe that we need to start teaching our kids how to NOT use computers.
Because the corporations beat the schools to the punch, the internet is now a fertile playground for advertisers. The way that we’re fed information is solely based on what we click on most. There’s so many techniques that are being exploited be reputable news outlets. We are constantly being fed affirmations instead of factual journalism.
In his book, THE INFORMATION DIET, Clay A. Johnson lays out the case for healthy consumption.
This video sums it up in 60 seconds.
I’ve been trying out the software that Johnson recommends – I am now able to monitor and limit the types of content that I’m consuming. I’ll be posting in a week about the results of my experimenting.
