Social Media Hampers Student's Focus and Productivity

“How Social Media Affects Student Focus and Productivity” By: Amor Sending In a world where hardly anybody is ever offline, digital distractions abound. Technology has been responsible for many advances in modern sport, helping us share, learn and communicate more effectively. From scrolling through Facebook to getting rapid-fire news updates on Twitter, to idling away on Instagram, we spend our daily lives sailing on a sea of digital chatter which never seems to abate.

But what effect is this constant onslaught having on productivity at school, and the ability to focus on a single task without having to stop for frequent social media breaks? How much of a student’s online persona reflects who they are as a person? And what does it say about them as a student?

Many students suffer from lack of focus and productivity in class, they are even wondering why it happen because most of them don’t know the effects of too much use of social media. According to Dr. Roberta Lepre, the constant access to social media through mobile technology is a great distraction, particularly when it comes to tasks which require substantial focus and concentration.

When you are forever online, working and visiting several social media and social networking websites in day, you tire your brain and lack the attention and focus.

Yes, if you have the free time, these social networks are good, but when used too much, can reduce your efficiency and productivity, besides harming your entire days’ work and routine. According to studies, social media reduces your attention span by numbers. In a test, heavy social media users found it much more challenging to switch between tasks than those who were using communication platforms moderately.

The good news is, if you are struggling with social media addiction at school, there’s always a way out of the loophole. Here are the most popular and effective ways to get rid of the habit of feed scrolling once and for all. 1. Define the “why” and change your response Finding a social media addiction cure starts with understanding what got you here in the first place. Set a few minutes aside to think when you are the most likely to browse through socials. Feeling stressed, not knowing how to perform a difficult task, or feeling lonely at the office in the morning are all likely reasons. Now that you know what triggers the urge of typing “Facebook.com” in the address bar, change your response to this stress. Your new way to deal with an issue could be a 5-minute stretch, shutting down all tabs and sitting in silence, or walking around the block for 2-3 minutes – none of these are as addictive as social media is.Find something (or someone) to hold you accountable 2. Creating a support system is an efficient way to fight any bad habit – social media craving included. If you don’t have a friend to keep you off Instagram, download an accountability app. 3. Reward yourself for “clean” days If you miss the dopamine release social media usually offered, finding something else to make you feel good is a good way to win over a destructive habit. A small reward every day will be enough to help you pull through the next 24 hours. For instance, you can allow yourself a 10-minute break for each social-media free hour of uninterrupted break. 4. Stay in touch with your connections without visiting social media Social media connects us. It is called social media for a reason. This is the most common reason for people to use each platform. They want to keep in touch with friends and family, and social platforms are one of the best ways to do it. However, it isn’t the only way. If you want to disconnect online, reach out to the friends and family you genuinely want to keep in touch with. Ask for their phone numbers, email addresses, and home addresses. It may take a little more effort but you can text, call, email and even hand-write them letters to stay in touch, rather than mindlessly “liking” their posts online. Social media is not all bad. It allows for a level of global connectivity that years ago was not possible. Just be aware of what it does to your brain and the steps you can take to improve your personal, academic, and work life. The last thing you want is to fall behind in work or classes because you’ve been scrolling for way too long.