Online Class Notes (Vicki)

When you were at school, were you ever told to stop daydreaming and concentrate? It was easy for your mind to wander if you weren’t interested in what you were learning or if you had better things to think about. Staying focused can still be a challenge in adult life, but understanding how to do it, and knowing what is distracting you, can help.

Scientists have looked at what makes us procrastinate and found a number of ways to help us stay in the zone. One of the most obvious things is eliminating noise. Research by Science Focus magazine found silence is best for concentration, or a gentle background hum and coffee shop noise is great! It also found turning off notifications on your phone, or switching it off altogether, removes a major distraction and helps us focus on the task at hand.

Another possible cure for a short attention span is brain training. Psychologists and neuroscientists are increasingly interested in our ability to knuckle down and have looked at what we can change inside our head to make us concentrate. An article for BBC Future by Caroline Williams says that “Attention Researcher Nilli Lavie of University College London has found that making a task more visually demanding… takes up more processing power and leaves the brain nothing left to process distractions.” So, keeping your mind busy might be the answer.

There are more practical tips to keeping your mind focused. These include making a list or timetable of the tasks you have to do, finding a workspace where you’re not tempted to do other things, or chewing some gum! It’s possible the movement in your mouth occupies parts of the brain that might otherwise get distracted.

But according to Science Focus magazine, distraction isn’t all bad. “If we were always so focused that we never got distracted, we’d miss potential changes, such as threats, in our environment. Distraction is vital for survival.”

Vocabulary

procrastinate – putting things off
i.e. I always procrastinate my homework until the very last minute.

procrastinator – the person who procrastinate
i.e. I am an expert procrastinator.

knuckle down – focus on something
i.e. Let’s knuckle down and finished this report.

visual – what you can see
visually (adv.) – what you can see
visually demanding – something that requires more of your visual ability

For many of us, online shopping has made the process of purchasing goods a far simpler and more fluid process. No longer do we have to head to the shops to browse and peruse various objects, wandering around endless aisles, before finally settling for the first thing we saw. These days, we find the item we want or need online, click on it, and check out its description and user reviews. If it fits the bill, we send it to our basket and pay. There seems to be a wealth of options at our fingertips. But how do we know the options that pop up in front of us really are the best deals. And how might algorithms help or hinder us?

Algorithms, simply put, are mathematical instructions which tell the computer how to solve problems. When shopping is involved, what is the problem they solve? Well, the algorithms instruct the computer which adverts to show and which products a user is most likely to splash the cash on. By analysing things we’ve previously bought or looked at, the algorithm can predict what goods we’re most likely to be enticed by. For some people, the idea of something guessing your preferences could sound a bit intimidating. But first, let’s look at the positives.

Time is an important thing – something we don’t want to waste too much of. By telling the computer to show us adverts for things we are interested in, it can save us a lot of time sifting through things or services that don’t match our criteria. They can also help us find the best deals.

However, there are some people who have concerns about the impact of algorithms on our shopping experience. It is possible that algorithms may only select options from a limited number of brands, or may favour products from certain companies. There are also concerns that we aren’t always shown the cheapest or best deal, even though that’s what we’re searching for. Finally, some algorithms generate ads which tell you there are only a limited number of items you’re interested in left. They might just be there to manipulate you.

So, the takeaway from this is that algorithms are here to stay, and it’s wise to know they exist. Whenever you’re shopping, be it online or off, make sure to shop around for the best deals. The first thing you see might not always be the best for you.

Vocabulary

fluid process – smooth process that moves along very easily

hinder – making the process difficult

simply put – in others simple words

advert – advertisements

splash the cash – spend money

enticed – attracted

intimidating – overwhelming

sift through – browse and choose

manipulate – trick