Summary
Author: Paulin Viray
Date Updated: 2022-01-25
Date Added: 2022-01-25
Research: Our team researched the problem of unintentional internet use in the US and looked for the most effective way to minimize that.
Summary: With the use of a distraction blockers, we estimate that on average, 64% of unintentional internet use can be prevented.
Recommendation: Use distraction blocker software like Freedom
Recommendations
Individual Recommendation
If you have a problem controlling yourself in using addicting sites/platform online, we recommend trying to install a distraction blocker in your computer or smartphones, particularly Freedom. Using this will help you eliminate distractions and focus on a single task, break bad habit and build new good ones, and be more productive in general. Distractions are habit forming so it is necessary to minimize them.
Organizational Recommendation
Organizations can benefit greatly in installing distraction blockers like Freedom in their computers. In addition, a time tracker with similar feature like RescueTime that is more tailored for companies can be used. This can help them ensure that the employees are focused, and doing what they were supposed to do during office hours. Research showed that about 30-40% of employee activity is not related to work and costs US businesses $63 billion in lost productivity each year.
Societal Recommendation
As a collective, the internet has improved our lives tremendously, in ways we never have imagined before. Now, we know it came with a price. Being more connected online meant being disconnected in real life for other people. If most of the population will take pause and notice their internet consumption, we can have an insight about our blindspots. With the aid of a distraction blocker, we can be more empowered to make changes that will benefit us individually and as a society in the long run. In a perfect world, applications and websites would not be built to be addicting so we urge the developers to create something that is beneficial and fun but not with the risk of people’s well being. Here at Better, we aim at developing things like that and hope to share some of our work related with this area soon.
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Alternatives
There are other strategies that let users still use the apps that they like. They work by removing only the addictive parts of the apps, like the news feed and recommendations section.
Recommended Resources