Digital "Self" Control

The rapid growth of emerging media would seem to suggest that the world is becoming faster, smarter and more efficient. However, the surfacing of “productivity applications” ironically suggests the opposite.  One app, for example, “Freedom,” locks users “away from the internet on Mac or Windows computers for up to eight hours at a time.”  In fact the only way for the user to regain internet access is to completely reboot the computer. Fundamentally, the app gives users freedom to focus free from digital distraction. Perhaps it’s a self created need, but it’s a need nonetheless.

Another digital time management assistant is StayFocused. An “extension for Google Chrome, StayFocusd allows you to restrict your time for specific websites. Indicate how much time you can spend on a particular website, and once that time has passed, the extension blocks that site on your computer for the rest of the day.”

While the irony of creating more digital platforms to be less distracted by current digital platforms is profound, these types of automated controls hold an important place in the emerging media landscape. When entrepreneurs remain focused on a goal, quality innovation occurs. Consequently, what will sustain digital expansion is what will limit it.