Love the Internet

[Anonymous]

This might be something that applies to some age groups more than others, but does anyone else just LOVE browsing the Internet?

I do. It’s very ADD-friendly if you think about it. You can switch from one thing to another whenever you want, everything’s updated instantly, you can focus on whatever topic you find most stimulating/enjoyable for as long as you want, post all your creative works where someone will actually see them, that whole no-sense-of-time thing is easily a major factor (I’m writing this just after midnight, I blame the Adderall), and to top it off, you get to stare at a shiny, stimulating screen the entire time.

My finances are in pretty darn solid shape because I can manage them online. If I could clean my bedroom on my computer, it would be spotless. I met the sketch comedy group that I’m involved with via Craigslist. My funny pictures/videos folder is just over a gig in size. Been adding to it constantly since 2004. I hope I don’t sound like too much of an addict.

Anyway, the purpose of this thread is to share what sites that, while not about ADD, are most enjoyable to someone who has it. Here’s a few of my picks (warning, visiting any of these sites may destroy your productivity):

Faceboook (Obvious)

Fark.com (Updated almost nonstop with hilarity)

StumbleUpon

TVTropes (Warning: Going here will cause you to do nothing else for the rest of the day. It’s that addicting,)

Hyperbole and a Half (With the entry at http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-why-ill-never-be-adult.html you can see why I’m 99% sure she has ADHD and is also my dream woman)

A ton of webcomics

Any site that’s nothing but funny pictures

Anyone else big on the Internet or have any other favorite sites that seem to latch onto their ADD?

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Great list Capt.

Hey the above might be great sites for many here but if anyone can give me some that provide information that relates specifically to ADD/ADHD issues that would be great. (prefer those not affiliated or swayed by big pharma please) I personally avoid most of the sites above because I would hyper focus on them rendering me a lump of poop for the entire day ( as for-warned by captain amazing) . But Hey that is just me and I realize others use the sites above in a positive manner I just cannot. But i wish i could as people often come to me with interesting stuff from them hehehe.

Anyway, again I had been referred to this site from other ADD/ADHD sites and visa-versa… so maybe here is a start. Of course i will start with my favorite

totallyadd.com

chadd.com

addforums.com

REPORT ABUSE

[Bibliophile]

While the Internet is chock full of interesting information, it can be very tempting for an ADHD mind. I know that I sometimes perseverate/hyperfocus on tangential material and see hours of my time wasted at work. It is a double-edged sword; we now have access to more information and services than ever before in history, but this information or these services may not be related to what we need to accomplish or should be doing.

REPORT ABUSE

[munchkin]

There are tons of things I can do now, that would have been difficult if not impossible before the internet! The only way I could do my work before was to have tons of reference materials and refer to them constantly, which would attract attention and seem odd to coworkers. Often it was just too slow and awkward, and I would be unable to accomplish things that others could do easily. This was holding me back, and I figured I just had to accept that I would be unable to compete with those freaky good-memory people! Then, when I was about 27 years old – lo and behold – I got a job where I was actually allowed to have – gasp – my own computer to use at work!!! (that was over 10 yrs ago) Now I have reference websites and pages, all bookmarked on my computer, and no-one has to know that I look up the same terminology and rules and sample letters, etc. over and over because on some days, I just can’t remember or retain a darn thing! The internet for me is like glasses for someone with bad vision.

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Munchkin,

I agree, as a person 48 years of age am very thankful for the Internet. It has opened a door of knowledge gathering and education beyond imagination. I unfortunately fell through through the cracks while in the grades of k-12 and because I was not a person with ADHD that ran through the halls or continuously blurted out answers every 3 seconds I was not classified. Also because of my family (for a variety of reasons) were so busy with there lives (and maybe struggling also) and maybe partially because of there lack of knowledge they never had me tested. Today it is very different. teachers are trained to look out for signs and symptoms, parents are more aware of the signs and in general the health care community as a whole is as well.

Even with all those measures in place the internet offers a tremendous amount of information about ADHD. Sure can one spend to much time on the computer? YES! Just like many spend to much time watching TV, playing farmville, playing wii, eating, shopping and etc. Moderation Is very important. Does gaining education and knowledge about a pressing issue that is effecting my life and those around me qualify me to spending a large amount of my time on the computer? Yes! Because of ADHD all aspects of my life have been impacted “All”. So for me I have had to gain knowledge to better myself and those around me.

I just 3 years ago visited a psyche and testing center etc and was diagnosed ADHD and because i was just labeled and did not fully understand ADHD it really meant very little. It was only after stumbling onto this sight after a continual downslide that i have really been educating myself. Which in my case includes the use of a Therapist and Meds. To be honest although I can point to hundreds of examples to my immediate family members why I have ADHD besides the formal diagnosis they I believe are in denial. Not only do I have ADHD it is amazing the obvious sings and symptoms they have exhibited and continue to struggle with today. It is a shame that because of this denial they are missing out on the joys of life they should be living. How do i know this, Because I was involved with someone whom filled in all my blank took control of my life instead of trying to educate me and afford me options to fix myself. Unfortunately as I research more and more it is not uncommon for one like me to fall into a relationship like that where one is taken advantage of,,, Oh by the way after using me up for all my physical creative and unique outgoing personalities for this persons selfish gains I was cast aside. Had I known about ADHD maybe, just maybe I would have been better prepared against that so I would not have become a burden on society but an asset as I once was.

Now once full of information it will be necessary for me to take it to “better” or in my case almost completely “reinvent” myself. (Oh but wait my procrastination and anxieties may be one of the signs and symptoms) AHHH I never new that nor did I realize that some of my struggles regarding basic life function were so affected by 48 years of an undiagnosed neurobehavioral developmental disorder but they have. (Oooppss.. don’t mean to offend anyone).. And to be honest I have a feeling I may not be the only one that visits this and other sites that struggle with ADHD. I bet from some of the posts I have seen many are here because they even suffer worse than I because of lack of shared knowledge and education. So if they want to spend time here and surf and use other sites to gain knowledge or even gain relief from some of there symptoms of ADHD by all means I hope they Use the Internet for there benefit.

REPORT ABUSE

[Orion]

Internet… yes. A miracle. It completely changed our world. But for ADD folk, it can be a black hole of time. I have a few sites that I visit every single time I boot up. I check my mail. read the news and so forth. Then as times permits (ha!), I delve deeper into the abyss of binary bits and bytes known as the web. I sit down to just check my mail and see the latest news for a few minutes before I have to run off for an appointment.. Then “a few minutes” later, I look up and 2 hours have gone by! Arrggg1 It can fascinate me and it can irritates me to death.

Yahoo (and other major clients). Yes, free mail. But at what price? And where the hell do they come up with their news stories? Is a dog doing a funny trick really a top story ? And .. those @#&”% animated ads !! cartoon people bouncing up and down or racing across the screen. They drive me absolutely insane! Anyone else ?? I have to shrink my windows, move them half way off screen, open up other windows to cover them, or whatever I think of… just to make them stop! I understand they are just grabbing my attention to sell me something. But I guess they do not realize that grabbing the attention of an ADDer is like shooting fish in a barrel. They are kryptonite for my ADD brain. They think they are tapping us on the shoulder to offer a good deal. But what are doing to ADDers is hurling a metal garbage can at our heads..

Anyway, yes, internet. Love it! It is brain candy!

Peace all

Orion

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

“It is brain candy!”

Perfect, perfect way to describe it if you’re familiar with the Kids In the Hall movie of the same name.

Anywho, you can get rid of most ads by using the Firefox browser with the Adblock extension. Though keep in mind by blocking ads you’ll be denying the sites you visit a tiny amount of ad revenue that you would have generated. Although you can also turn it off for certain sites if you want.

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Anything on the Cheezeburger Network Failblog, ICanHazCheezeburger…etc. You can enjoy a bit of schaudefaude, read a ‘warm fuzzy feeling’ story, or laugh at pictures.

StumbleUpon is mind sucking…I love it!

REPORT ABUSE

[Orion]

@ Captain: yes. I have, since, discovered the joyous wonder of AdBlock. Soooooo much more tolerable to browse now. And, when I use someone else’s computer, the first thing I say is ” AHHH! Ads!!! Get AdBlock! Now!!”

REPORT ABUSE

[Orion]

Also.. I’m sure I’m not the only ADDer who, in order to accomplish important tasks on the computer, has to actually make a list of things to do and websites to visit. If I don’t have a plan, I will sit down with the intention of getting several mandatory tasks completed and end up 3 hours later having done absolutely nothing. I can’t even count the number of times I have finally stood up from the computer to continue with my day and noticed a window on the screen that is still open, clicked on it… and was quickly reminded that I still haven’t made the mortgage payment I sat down to do. ARRGG.

REPORT ABUSE

[Orion]

One more note….. If you ever hope to accomplish any meaningful tasks at the computer… Avoid the “Eternal and Absolute Black Hole Of Time” – also known as Youtube. If you see an email or Facebook post with a Youtube video link.. DO NOT click on it. Doing so ensures a swift and severe trainwreck of time management. You’re Welcome

REPORT ABUSE

[g.laiya]

yes – love it! absolutely “brain candy” – great analogy!

hate the losing track of time/ time sucking black hole part though…

REPORT ABUSE

[Anonymous]

Ooooohhhhh…….INTERNETS…..(image of a drooling Homer Simpson)…I am an absolute JUNKIE.

@Orion…That thing you said about sitting down to pay bills and surfing mindlessly for hours before realizing you hadn’t even done what you sat down to do…THAT IS THE STORY OF EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE since I got internet. I have resisted Facebook, because I am a very private person, but as for the “brain-sucking” sites…I have a whole folder of brain suck bookmarks that are an ADDer’s dream/nightmare…I usually visit these at lunch (at work), and have to set an alarm to tell me to go clock back in because I went almost 20 minutes over my lunch HOUR surfing these sites.

I have learned, though, that there is actual INFORMATION on the internet, and have been trying my best to change my habits to where I am spending more time on tutorials for things I can actually use at my job (graphic designer – go figure!).

My two favorites (other than this site): thedailywh.at and fuzzysquid.com/LJ.php/ , which is some dude who wrote a code that sucks all the recently posted images from LiveJournal (yes, LiveJournal). There is some interesting stuff there if you AdBlock out the porn. When you get to the bottom of the page, just hit refresh for new stuff! Scary, how easily we get sucked into things like this.

Also, since I am very recently AH-HA – THIS site is my NEW addiction.

REPORT ABUSE

[Robbo]

REPORT ABUSE

[Author]

Posts