Essay writing is a difficult task. It can be quite boring at times, causing you to yawn constantly. As a result, you may find yourself using different smartphone apps. So, what are the most common distractions for most students? Let's investigate!
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
You may be excessively fatigued or unwilling to accomplish all of your academic obligations. If you're fatigued from constant learning and can't concentrate on your essay, it can be a good idea to seek professional online essay assistance.
If you want to get help from a real expert, it is crucial to choose a 100% reliable service. Be sure to read reviews of academic writing help sites on independent review services, such as essay writing service EssayAssistant that offers help with any kind of homework (including homework help geometry or even python assignments). However, if you do decide to write an essay on your own, it's time to get rid of the most common distractions.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For years, social media apps have topped the list of most popular apps. These are time-eaters that can tempt you to immerse yourself in the digital world and spend all of your spare time there. The greatest risk is that you may not realize you've been perusing the newsfeed for hours after opening your app.
The truth is that these applications offer you the impression of being social. It's simple to keep up with what's going on with your classmates, friends, and mates. Investigating images and viewing videos is usually a lot of fun, and it helps students forget about their everyday routines. Furthermore, many social networking apps include information about upcoming events and popular destinations in your neighborhood. They have a great user interface and are made to keep consumers' attention for as long as possible.
What should you do to eliminate these annoyances? You don't have to worry about deleting them off your phone. Some programs can limit your social media for a specific period of time, allowing you to learn more effectively. You could, for example, set the timer for a couple of hours. Your social networking apps will be permanently disabled during this time. These apps are commonly referred to as mindful productivity apps. You may easily find many of them online. Furthermore, some blocking programs are completely free.
MESSENGERS
Your messenger is another common source of distraction. If you prefer offline communication and don't have a large group of pals, this may not be an issue. Messengers, on the other hand, might eat up hours of your writing time if you enjoy chatting with your friends.
The truth is that simply writing "hello" generally initiates a lengthy conversation. Even if you last spoke a few hours ago, your best friends will always have something to talk about. As a result, you may find yourself conversing for hours, wasting time you could have spent writing.
Messengers are also incredibly addictive, especially when you have to learn most of the time from a distance. People use messengers to discuss news and make friends with other students due to a lack of direct offline communication. This is how the most popular messenger can quickly distract you from your academic responsibilities.
How can this prevalent problem be resolved? Most of your chats and conversations can be muted for a specific period of time. Another option is to turn off all of your smartphone's notifications. To avoid the temptation of checking your apps, keep your phone away from your workstation. You won't be distracted by new messages from your chats this way.
Not to mention, disable your messenger's desktop version. Otherwise, you may begin receiving notifications while writing your essay or gathering arguments. For your tablet versions, the same rule applies (if you use any).
GAMES
The majority of pupils enjoy playing games on their smartphones. There are thousands of choices to fit any taste or requirement. Most games, on the other hand, send notifications and push messages to their users on a frequent basis. For example, when writing an article, you can receive a signal about receiving additional bonuses or delightful discounts from your favorite game. In this case, what will you do? Most of the time, you'll stop writing and try to earn a new bonus or reward by playing the game.
The most addicting applications on our list are games. Conversations on messengers will come to a close sooner or later. Games have the ability to keep you riveted to the screen for up to five hours. As a result, you will be unable to finish critical daily duties and may easily miss academic assignment deadlines.
For most pupils, spending time playing is not a problem. If it is, however, your primary interest or you are a professional player, this activity may consume all of your free time. If you're one of them, try turning off your smartphone for a few hours so you can concentrate on your essay.
It's also worth noting that imposing limits on game play is usually unsuccessful. The adrenaline released in your body when you're playing may cause you to break all of your rules and plans. If you're very excited, you'll keep moving the writing time back and forth. To finish all of your academic tasks (including geometry homework), simply turn off your smartphone. There are none.
YOUR FAVORITE WEBSITES
Depending on their hobbies and interests, most students have a few favorite websites. These websites are usually added to your favorites for quick access. When gathering justifications for your essay, you may want to start with your favorite websites. You might want to look through the site for a few minutes and then stick with it for a few hours.
Apps that block websites are available to assist. Some applications restrict access to the most popular entertainment websites for a set amount of time. This way, you'll be able to gather research for your essay without having access to your favorite websites.
And don't forget to refer to various essay help websites that can, if anything, help you with your assignment or check it for errors. Good luck to you!
Online Threat Alerts Security Tips
Pay the safest way
Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.
Guard your personal information
In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.
Be careful of the information you share
Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with
Know who you’re dealing with
Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.
Check your accounts
Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.
Don’t believe promises of easy money
If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.
Do not open email from people you don’t know
If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.
Think before you click
If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.
Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond
If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.
Be careful with links and new website addresses
Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.
Secure your personal information
Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.
Stay informed on the latest cyber threats
Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.
Use Strong Passwords
Strong passwords are critical to online security.
Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs
Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.
Update the operating systems on your electronic devices
Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.
What if You Got Scammed?
Stop Contact With The Scammer
Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.
Secure Your Finances
- Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
- Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:
- Equifax
- Experian
- TransUnion
Check Your Computer
If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.
Change Your Account Passwords
Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.
Report The Scam
Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.
Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:
- Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
- Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
- Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.
How To Recognize a Phishing Scam
Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.
Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:
Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might
- say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
- claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
- say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
- include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
- want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
- say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
- offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real
About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)
Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.
By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.
With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.
Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.
Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).