How to Spend Less Time on the Internet

Logging onto the net can be a fun to spend free time. But what happens when our free time turns out to go on for hours. We lose track of time and sometimes reality. While we log onto our computers to do research, work and or homework; we tend to wander away from it. We log onto games, celebrity gossip and watching videos. So how can we stop spending too much time on the computer? By having rules. These rules should be in front of us at all times. Write down how much time you want to be on the computer and post it next to your monitor. Having it in sight constantly can help avoid deterring to fun stuff instead of getting work done.

Time
Kids can easily lose sight of what they wanted to do the moment they see something new to download or check out. By allowing a certain time, your child will have in mind just how much time they can spend. If they have an assignment due, they are more likely to get it done if they can only be on for so long. If they decide to play games instead, a punishment of no computer for a while may be suitable.

Games
Many games today have lobby rooms. Do not open these rooms until work is done. Why? Because it’s more tempting to take a break and play a game when the lobby is already open. It’s enticing because you’re already signed in and may be bored looking for a way out. Playing one game often times doesn’t work. The one game can easily turn into hours of game playing.

IMing
Iming is a fun and easy way to keep in touch. But it could also eat away at your time quickly. Yahoo, ICQ and AOL all have a noise signal when someone comes online or goes offline. This is easily a problem since seeing someone logged on may prompt a conversation that could be a while. MSN IM turns off it’s alerts when someone comes online when you’re setting is set to “busy.” Not knowing when someone is coming and going can actually help stop interruptions. But it may also drive you crazy by checking if someone has logged on while you were set to busy every few minutes.

E-mail
Many programs today alert us when we have mail. MSN, Yahoo IM and Outlook Express when open can alarm you of a new message. Leaving the volume up loud may cause a scare when a new message is received. Having these programs on while working can become disruptive. Many of us like to receive e-mail but getting caught up when we’re suppose to be working can create a problem. Shutting these down until you’re finished can help with becoming distracted.

Website blocking
If there’s someone in your family who has an addiction to a website, you can block the website. You simply enter the website under the internet options of your browser and put a password on the restricted website. This way only you can lock and unlock the website.

Message boards
Visiting a message board can eat away at your time if you’re refreshing and chatting with others for more than a few minutes. By removing a few from your daily list of items to check out, you can save time.

Newsletters
There seems to be a newsletter for everything today. And with the newsletter can be solo ads in our inboxes. Consider unsubscribing similar or useless newsletters to save time when reading your e-mail.

Fun time
Everyone deserves a little fun online. Allowing yourself 20 minutes for fun before you work can help tide over your constant craving to check out the latest gossip, gaming and more.

Timing
There are some free timer programs on download.com The timer programs are pretty simple. You enter a name for the timer and then have it countdown with a sound to let you know time is up. Or you can use an egg timer by your computer while you work. But the ticking may distract you.

It’s easy to get lost on the web; many of us do it and will continue doing it. If you have a slip, get right back on your schedule and keep moving forward. Before turning on the computer, have a reason in mind why you’re really doing it. Is it because you’re bored or because you have a chore to do. By knowing what you need to get done, you’ll be more likely to make progress. Good luck!