Are Finals and Social Media a Deadly Duo?

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In the year 2015, you would think that the world would have come to realize that torturing their future doctors, lawyers, and McDonalds workers (AKA Highschoolers) by forcing them to sit at a desk for 8 hours every day would be torture enough. But, no. They test us about everything we’ve ever learned during the worst week of the year. Finals week. Those words enough send shivers down the spines of current teenagers and adults alike. Do you remember the cramming that finals require? 7 classes, 7 tests away from the esteemed SUMMER VACATION. And what could make studying even harder right? I mean, you’re already worried about the color of your bikini, or how tan you’re going to be, what could make it harder? Two words: Social Media.

Now, all of you adults are going to sigh and say that we have it easy. Google and Wikipedia weren’t even around when you were in school. You had to use something called a book. And yes, Google and Wikipedia have both saved my life a few times when I didn’t know how to do my homework (cough, cough, CHEMISTRY, cough, cough). But, have you ever tried to study for a test, or write a paper when all of your friends (and I mean all of them) could be tweeting about the biggest thing to happen since the Victoria’s Secret sale? No way are you focused when all of your friends and newest school gossip are a click away.

After some personal experience of procrastinating so horribly because of Twitter, I’ve compiled of list of social media do’s and don’ts when it comes to finals week.

Do’s:

1. Take 30 minute breaks. I’ve learned from studying that, as bad as it sounds, I can’t go an hour without looking at Twitter. I’ve found that it’s better to give myself a 5 minute Twitter break after 30 minutes of studying, and then I can focus on my studying instead of fighting my temptation to tweet.

2. Turn the sound off. When you’re in the middle of studying, and you keep getting notifications of people favoriting or replying to things, you’re going to be even more inclined to pick up your phone. Turn the sound off and lay it face down, so you can’t even see the notifications light up.

3. Let your friends know that your studying. If your friends start texting you, that’s even more distracting than social media. Send them a quick reply saying that you’re studying and I’m sure that they’ll understand, we’ve all been there.

Don’ts:

1. Don’t let your friends distract you. While this goes along with number 3 of the “do’s,” it’s a little different. We all have that one friend who never studies and doesn’t know why, or how, people do. Don’t let them talk you out of your study sesh, stay focused and tell them that you’ll text them later.

2. Do NOT get on Instagram. While a quick little Twitter or Facebook break may be good for the mind, never get on Instagram. Instagram is one of those social media sites where you open it, and the next thing you know, you’ve been on it for 15 minutes. According to a study, pictures get a 39% increase in interaction rate than text posts.

3. Never play a game on your phone. Not only when you play a game on your phone, does it usually last for more than 5 minutes, you’ll get addicted and keep telling yourself, “One more time.” The average phone “gamer” spends up to 6.3 hours a week playing games on their phone. Some of which, could be distracting you from your studying.

I realize that this blog probably pertains only to a small demographic of people: highschoolers and college students. But, if you’re a parent, relative, or friend of one of those types of people, then give them some tips. Because I’ll tell you from experience that finals are no walk in the park, and they are just around the corner.

Sit down, crack open a book, and #TurnTheLightBulbOn.

By: Harley Crawshaw | @harley_crawshaw

About Tom Harness

Tom Harness is the owner of Harness Digital Marketing, a digital marketing firm that works with businesses and organizations on Social Media, SEO, and Email Marketing. He is an entrepreneur and business owner with 20 years of combined experience in Education, IT, and Business. Tom is a U.S. Army Veteran and a Southern Illinois University alum. He also enjoys craft beers, his beloved Chicago Cubs, and his family.

Comments

  1. Nice job Harley!

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