Being a teenager today often means busy days and late nights spent scribbling through homework or cramming for tests, when the ability to focus is at an all-time-low and the stress is piling up. Relieving this stress by taking a study break and checking out a website or two can seem harmless. However, some students admit that these types of breaks do more to distract than to help.
“[Going on certain websites] definitely distracts me from doing my homework because once you open an account, it’s really impossible to log off,” senior June Lee said.
Lee is a frequent Tumblr and StumbleUpon user, two sites recently popularized, along with the website Pinterest. Like Lee, 39 percent of South students, according to a recent Oracle-conducted survey of 188 students, have been using one or more of these sites, whether as a distraction from school work or simply to alleviate boredom.
Lee explained that Tumblr is a blog where users can post or share pictures, videos, quotes and more that they like as an outlet for self-expression.
“[Tumblr] is a great way to get my feelings out into words because some pictures or quotes are what I want to tell the world,” Lee said.
Freshman Jessie Wrona also enjoys using Tumblr, visiting the site almost every day.
“I really like going on and seeing the pictures,” Wrona said. “It’s just really addicting.”
However, Wrona does think Tumblr can be a distraction.
“[I think Tumblr distracts] a little,” Wrona said. “I can go on Tumblr for what feels like 10 minutes and be on for three hours,”
Tumblr users can also re-post their friends’ content to add to their blog. This is similar to Pinterest, where users can upload photos or “re-pin” their friends’ photos that they like to make themed albums.
Senior CC Hoogland likes the creative aspect to the website.
“I go on Pinterest because it is just a fun, creative website to waste time on,” Hoogland said. “I feel like it’s a little bit more productive than Facebook because I learn cool things about nutrition and some awesome exercises.”
Hoogland also likes the practical uses of the site.
“I pin random things for my future dorm room so when I actually have to decorate it, I can look at that board to remember things,” Hoogland said.
A third website that has recently become popular at South is StumbleUpon. StumbleUpon is different than Tumblr and Pinterest in that it does not provide users with a page in which they can post media, but instead gives members a list of interests to choose from and then compiles an extensive list of websites the person might like. All the user needs to do is click “Stumble” on their browser tool-bar until they come across a site that catches their interest.
Freshman Rachel Chmielinski is one student that enjoys “stumbling”.
“StumbleUpon is just a fantastic website,” Chmielinski said. “It’s a great cure for boredom, but more importantly I find so many cool websites that I didn’t know existed.”
Junior Sean Lawrence agrees with Chmielinski.
Though he enjoys using the website, Lawrence thinks StumbleUpon can be a distraction.
“I can spend hours stumbling upon things instead of doing productive activities,” Lawrence said. “I use StumbleUpon because it helps me find pictures, videos, and websites that are tailored to my interests.”
