It’s an addiction from which many teenagers suffer. And, rather than growing out of it, the problem tends to snowball as time goes on.

Compounded with senioritis, the problem becomes nearly uncontrollable. What is the problem, you ask? Procrastination.

Distractions seem to bombard me each night as I attempt to complete my homework assignments. It seems a paradox that my biggest asset is also my largest impediment towards completing work on time; the paradox is my laptop.

With my laptop comes the internet. But with a wealth of information comes a wealth of distractions. I’m more likely to use the internet to search videos or check Facebook than watch a TED talk about the composition of ribosomes.

In the process of writing this  short newspaper column, I’ve already found myself taking multiple “Internet Breaks.” Once, to search for TED talks (during which search I ended up on Facebook). Then, a second time, to look up a synonym (during which time I continued two conversations on iChat). The third time, for no reason at all, I looked at a series of pictures on the National Geographic website.

My time-wasting isn’t ever productive, and usually isn’t all that enjoyable. Usually, the homework I’m avoiding wouldn’t be so painful if I’d just get started on it.

You may well ask, why not just finish your homework early, and then waste time after it’s done? Well, I ask myself that very same question on a daily basis. I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no answer,

My propensity to waste time defies logic and reason; it seems to be a bit of a psychological mystery. Part of the reason I continue to waste time in this fashion is that it’s become so terribly easy to do.

I admit, steps could be taken—I could have a friend change my Facebook password or any number of things to stop myself from visiting these sites time and time again, from frittering away my daylight hours with mind-numbing games and juvenile videos.

Instead, I pretend that Facebook has practical uses. I convince myself that I need to check the Mock Trial message page or the time of the next lacrosse preseason workout. Invariably, I deviate from these goals.

But I think if wasting time were truly a problem, if it were actually causing tangible, irreparable harm to my scholastic career, then I’d stop… or would I?