Using social media sites gives you Diggitis and what you can do about it

There was been a lot of hoo hah about digg in the last 24 or so hours. Like most people I am sure we don’t want to be unproductive when it comes to life. However, I must admit to having Diggitis from time to time. Last semester I was teaching Mobile Workforce Technologies and some IT students (if you are reading this I had a great time) pointed out my stumble bar, I was caught out. I frequently used the web in that course because it’s about the leveraging power of social media, blogging, wikis and so on and the social ideas that underpin them. Come to think of it I probably should be talking about it on this blog a bit more shouldn’t I? As the title suggests the subject was all about how ‘mobile’ technologies influence the way work is designed and implemented. We used a wiki to make students write their own textbook about the world of mobile technologies. Although, towards the end it became more about educating people about online collaboration and co-learning but that’s another story. Sorry, tangent!

Anyway, the students pointed out to me that I had a stack of tools on top of my browser for stumbling. I have since cleaned it up. I can tell you that at the time I had just become acquainted with stumbling and it’s very addictive.

Do you have Diggitis?

I sometimes get it. It’s a hypnotic state that induces people into random clicking of most of the trivial information that makes the Digg front page. I have to force myself to do something else. If you get Diggitis I can tell you that you will have to work very hard to break out of it. It’s no wonder these sites become popular. For me, I don’t use Digg all that often, I prefer Stumbleupon myself. I guess you could call that Stumbleitis. I don’t really want to say ‘Reddititis’ because it sounds like a serious disease or deliciousitis either for that matter but you get my point.

What can you do about it?

The main thing you can do is be positive and set targets. The key thing to note is that whilst you are doing it you may find yourself running out of time to do other important things. If you are digging at work, or stumbling or whatever, the chances are you should be working. Here are three things you can do immediately that will reduce the amount of time you spend on social media sites:

1. Set daily goals: The reason we end up aimlessly clicking is because we are unsure of what our daily targets may be. It’s important the you keep a close eye on what you are doing and make sure that you are happy with your daily tasks. If you aren’t then spend 5-10 minutes making a daily list of what you need to do that’s very important. Take a piece of paper and stick it in front of your computer.
2. Give yourself a time limit: When you start on a site set a time limit of two to three minutes and then switch it off. Don’t fall into a Digg trance. By setting yourself reasonable limits and time to do it you will free up a small amount of time to enjoy it whilst not sacrificing the majority of productivity.
3. Use your imagination: Imagine what it’s like to fired. Really think about it. Can you see what it looks like? Good remember that next time you spend more than your allocated time stumbling!

The key thing to hold in your mind is that stuffing around on social media is fun, entertaining and interesting. However, you have to get things done in order to be successful. Very few people are successful on the basis of not working. Almost everyone who is someone worked at least somewhat to get there. So, I recommend moderation in stumbling and digging. If you don’t you will you be stuck with Diggitis.

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