There are only twenty-four hours in a day. On average, Americans spend seven of those hours sleeping, which leaves seventeen left. Learning to manage those seventeen hours seems to be pretty difficult for the average person, especially in this age of social media and entertainment. 

According to the American Psychological, 80 to 90 percent of college-age students procrastinate. Scientists attribute anxiety or a fear of failure as the direct cause of procrastination, but procrastination leads to more anxiety and stress. It is a seemingly self-perpetuating, unending, cycle that creates itself. 

High schoolers slip into this cycle extremely easily with all of the accessible distractors online. A junior at Key West High School (KWHS), Parker Curry shared her personal experience with these distractions.“Netflix, music, reading something I want to read instead of what I’m supposed to be doing for school or clubs, all distract me.” Addictive social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat keep users in a constant loop of new posts, which serves as a major distraction for students. 

Curry went deeper and explained why these distractors negatively impact her time management at times. “I think that it can be difficult for me to manage my time when I have a lot of homework. When I don’t have a lot I get my homework done early, but sometimes when I have a lot I put it off until the last minute.” An overwhelming amount of work creates stress and this continuous cycle of procrastination.

However, there is hope! Curry offered a few tips about how she tries to limit her distractors. “I eliminate distractions by locking my phone and only listening to study music.” Listening to music without words can help keep the mind focused on the tasks at hand and not wander thinking about the lyrics of a particular song. Limiting screen time on certain applications may prove to be very beneficial when trying to continue concentrating on work. 

Although life is filled with various stressors and distractions, it is imperative to stay on track and manage your time wisely!