Monday, February 3, 2014

A Program Parents Should Know About

Parents,

Have you ever run into this situation? Your teen tells you they are working on homework yet you repeatedly look over to find them on Facebook or Twitter?

There is a simple app you can install on your computer to fix that.

So whatever happened to good old fashioned self control? self discipline? Why can't some people just do their work?

It may surprise you (really it shouldn't) but some people have trouble focusing when they are on their computer. When we live in a world that is so connected it can be difficult to shut off certain distractions, especially when we are sitting at the computer. This devices has been the pioneer of connectivity, productivity, and distractions all in one place for a very long time. There should be no shame in using tools to help you in areas where you need help.

So what do you do when you can't seem to shut off that urge to play on Facebook?


The Answer: Anti - Social 


Anti - Social is a very simple productivity application for Mac or PC that when you open allows you to set a simple timer for how long you need to be productive.

After you set the timer for how long you need to focus it takes you to this screen:


In the list you can see that it auto populates Facebook and Twitter, but if you or your child are distracted by other sites you can simply type those into the list (they will auto populate the next time you run the app). At this point you can start the timer or you can set a schedule for the program to run.



You can choose to set up a scheduled time each day for it to block sites. The program will run in the background and will not take away any functionality of the computer other than access to these sites. The only way for the sites to become accessible again is for the timer to expire. You can't simply close the app and get back to Tweeting, or even restart the computer. The only way is to let the timer expire. 

This can help your child work on the things they need to and get them done in a timely fashion without you having to hover over their shoulder. (It comes in handy for adults too)

Drawbacks:

Right now the primary drawback to Anti-Social is that it only has a PC and Mac Version. It will be a great and glorious thing when they come out with a version for iPhone and Android. Until then you may have to take their phones while they do homework. 


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