ADD?
It was suggested to me last night by a friend that I might have ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder, I definitely don't fit the Hyperactivity part that people add nowadays) due to my inability to read extremely long blog posts in one sitting. It's true that I have trouble reading long passages on a computer screen, and that I tend to take frequent breaks while studying, but I do have the ability to focus on something that is written on paper, if it holds my interest. Does anyone else have such trouble focusing on reading things on a computer?
posted by Shoshana @ 9:00 AM
10 Comments:
Umm, I think I'm going to have to say I do not have such an issue... I'm all too able to sit and read blogs for a while.
But if you mean reading a really long post specifically, I usually do have a problem. I think that's more to do with the way our eyes read things on screens than anything else: Constantly going down down down a column is tiring...
You might notice that I put things in blockquotes on posts, even though I don't need to - that's because if I didn't, I myself wouldn't be able to read it. It would knock me out.
ADD is an easy thing to check out with a doctor. I think for the past few weeks I've been devoting most of my blog entries to that topic. My doctor put me on Adderall for adult ADD, and my psychologist is mad at him because he doesn't think I'm ADD, although all the online questionairres say that I definite am for sure. In fact, I'm about to write an entry on ADD myself right now. So in short, I can fully relate to what you write. My pdoc says that ADD is UNDERdiagnosed and that more people today have it than ever before.
Ezzie -
I think it is hard to concentrate on a computer screen for a prolonged period of time. I don't have as many problems with reading things on paper. And I do manage to spend plenty of time blog-reading throughout the day.
Zoe -
Thanks for the information. If I do have ADD, I think it is very mild, and certainly manageable. I try to steer clear of medicaton if at all possible, so I am not running to get medicated for this one.
Shoshana - I don't know what kind of screen you're using, but 2 things you may want to consider: Switching to an LCD/Flat-Panel screen, and adjusting the settings to ClearType (check Mirty's Codescripter blog, the top post). Both should make it easier on your eyes. :)
Absolutely, thats not ADD at all.. The screen depending on the lighting in the room and the luminescence of the monitor ands background effects it. For example, I find that I can rerad your small posts off trhe screen easily. But your BT articles or a 3 page post on a blog, I need to print out at school, then its very enjoyable to read.
Everyone thinks they have ADD these days. No, really, I'm not kidding. I read an article about it in Time magazine. Their conclusion is that it's not that people truly have a psychological disorder but that we're so constantly bombarded with information and being told that "multitasking" is the way to go that we've "unlearned" how to concentrate on only one thing at a time.
P.S. I agree that reading long passages on a computer screen is quite difficult.
Ezzie-
Thanks for the suggestions. I actually have trouble no matter what kind of monitor I am using (and I have used several different kinds), I think it is a mental thing rather than a computer thing.
Semgirl-
I've had the same experience. When I print things out, I don't have the same problems.
Debbie -
You could be right. I don't think I have ADD, but I definitely am a multi-tasker, and have probably trained myself to be that way due to the nature of the work I do.
I agree that medication is a no-no. But the interesting thing is what they give you these days for it. I just found out that the medication that I have been getting for ADD (Adderall) is nothing other than low doses of SPEED! Perfect for studying for the bar exam.
Zoe -
It's interesting to me that speed, which energizes some, can also calm others down.
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