I still use FB for keeping in touch with distant friends (I know right? I also use a mobile phone for actual calls) and finding out about new music. But only rarely, couple of times a week.
If I want to achieve anything I stay away from the internet completely!
Yep…
Forum surfing is NOT the issue here for me…
“The associated GAS though…”
I have lost interest in what we call social media (and common media in general) years ago.
And no TV at home since 2014.
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I totally get what you mean with being easilly distracted. For me, the number one distraction (with music, but also other stuff) was my phone. A couple of years ago I noticed how much time I spent on it instead of doing something I actually enjoy. I could just be looking at feeds full of ads and crap for an entire evening. So I got rid of apps like Facebook, Youtube and Twitter, turned off all notifications and stopped bringing it to the bedroom at night. In terms of distracting apps I only left one news app, a messaging app and Instagram on there, but without any notifications and it really helps. I still feel like I could spend less time on Insta, but it’s been way, way worse.
When I’m making music and I have my laptop open, what really helps for me is closing the mail app, whatsapp and browsers. Basically everything but the DAW. And when I take breaks I actually go away from the computer.
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and now in Yoda grammar…
The forum does not lead to the dark side.
Holding yourself back you are.
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Literally jamming and picked up my phone to read this…hahaha
But breaks from music gives you fresh ears…so I take em by reading this forum…
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I feel like being here reading posts, reading about different gear, techniques, ways of working still on some level keeps me moving forward during the times that I’m not making much music. Here is about as social as ill get online…
I dont think its that much of a distraction, its probably more to do with your goal setting & planning but equally there is nothing wrong with just doing music when you feel like it.
Every other social media site is draining and not worth it for your health imo. I do have some bookmarked pages I visit on Twitter but I try to avoid clicking on anything trending these days as its just mental people arguing.
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I’m not really on social media. Opted out years ago. This forum has kept me sane during lockdown… I know I’m not the only one holed up trying to make tunes
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Any of you on TikTok? My kid is…
That is place is chaos manifest. It is both enticing and terrifying.
I honestly feel bad for these kids that the most attractive means by which to socialize - so important to youth - are these awful, inhuman platforms. It’s also really tough to be a parent trying to regulate it. It’s the largest source of tension between the kid and us.
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taking a break from elektronauts?!?
I‘d rather quit making music 
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‘I have issues with focus, concentration and getting things done’
'Just focus, concentrate, and get ‘em done! Easy!’
I kid, but it’s a bit like saying ‘The cigarettes aren’t the problem. The problem is you smoking the cigarettes’ 
I battle with distraction quite a lot, and for me it’s often connected to some degree of stress or unhappiness going on in my life. If ‘the life in general’ is weighing a bit heavy - workload is high, interpersonal issues, etc - then we run out of capacity to deal with other things. Music making takes effort and forums don’t take much effort, so the choice at the end of a hard day is an easy one.
Might be worth considering any ‘road blocks’ that stand between you and making music (or any other thing you want to be doing) - anything that when you consider doing it you go ‘ugh, but…’. ‘Ugh, but I have to wire it up’, ‘Ugh, but I still need to install x’, etc - is there anything you can do to remove those roadblocks?
Also, worth accepting that maybe you simply enjoy spending time here, and that there’s nothing wrong with that, so long as it makes you happy - might lift some of the burden.
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Although at max maybe 30 minutes, I do that on purpose sometimes, to see if a loop sits right, haha.
Or is it just an excuse to browse instead of work my music? Who knows 
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I just bought an mc-707 to tackle this one. 
No more cables and sync problems until I buy a Typhon and try to let the two work together, haha.
Yeah, that’s absolutely a good way of looking at it. Acceptance.
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Hi,
I totally understand your issues with my answer.
But anyway - it’s the truth.
It’s really not the cigarette. It’s you, your addiction. You can change that. Not the cigarette.
Later on in this thread I sayed: make tasks and complete them.
If you have a very big task in front of you you perhaps need to split the task, and set timeframes yourself for the different kinds of it.
If you have serious concentration issues, you might need help, no guy in the internet can give you the best advice for you in particular.
Edit: with you I don’t mean particular you, but any person.
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While this is strictly correct, it brushes over a lot of subtlety in the reality of living in a body, dealing with willpower etc.
Fairly easy for me, as a non-smoker, to say ‘well, just stop smoking innit’, but I’ve no experience of nicotine cravings or the various other physical-mental aspects that are informing that addiction. I’d be taking the desired end point (no longer smoking) and mistaking it for the method to arrive at that point.
Any method will ofc require the person to see it through, so in that sense you’re definitely right, but some methods are easier (and some are more effective) than others - if it was as easy as saying ‘oh yeah I just need to…’, then we’d have a lot less people dealing with addiction, health issues, etc etc in the world 
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Yeah, you are right.
Addiction is a hell of a thing.
I needed severeal tries until I quit smoking, it was really, really frustrating.
But also for this, as with many things in the world - realization that something has to change is the first step to all things!
If you cant change it alone, dont be ashamed to search help if you can.
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Forum use and addiction to one of the most addictive chemicals in the world are different things.
In my 30s, I’m starting to believe I have been dealing with some ADHD my whole life. It’s a blessing and a curse. When I am really interested/excited/motivated, I can do anything with laser sharp focus. When I’m not, every possible distraction becomes a colorful bone to chase.
I deal with this in a multitude of ways. I create little rules for myself and have ways to keep myself accountable. I lead teams at work where I can’t let them down and report my own progress on tasks as I expect them to. A few years ago I kept a bullet journal with daily goals on a grid and 31 days on the other side. Colored in the grid per day (not an exercise day, box is black. Planned on bed at 10 went to bed at 11, yellow instead of green. Bed at 12, red. Etc. I shared this with friends and coworkers who were not only really interested but were often curious how well I was doing with my goals and regularly asked).
I only hit the forums at the start or end of the day (or if watching tv but that seems to be when I’m bored which means I should watch something else). Reading about what others are doing, or how they work around things inspires me and keeps me excited about playing. Facebook, Instagram, and every other thing is gone. They don’t inspire me, they don’t make me feel good, they are just holes. I have other holes but they are more productive. 90% of my tv consumption (when alone anyway) is YouTube. And it’s all inspiring content or calming. Woodworking videos. Music instrument reviews. People showing off what they achieve in a novel way with a new synth. Silent lathe videos. Artists using cool mediums to create things I couldn’t imagine.
Nothing is wasteful if it doesn’t cause harm to the rest of your life. Smoking is bad for your health. Excessive drinking can lead to all kinds of problems. For some, Facebook is awful emotionally and mentally. If the forum use is disruptive and you can’t setup simple rules for yourself, quit it. It can be far easier to quit something than moderately use it. Outside of addiction the former requires very little discipline compared to the latter.
I could write for pages but this is enough. Good luck op
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Yesterday, my students (16-17 years old) told me that they don’t use FB anymore cause parents have invaded that social media.
The only thing I’m following is Elektronauts cause you can learn useful things, help people fulfilled their passion and you can goof around with people that don’t take it seriously.
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Social media, smart technology, internet & the likes. Ours brains aren’t up to process the walls of information we need to digest each day.
“Just” restrict yourself to break the addiction. Take a look at dopamine detox, it might help you.
Why do you think the ancient Egyptians and Incas were more productive? Maybe an Abacus or some Papyrus was their only distraction.