It’s no secret that students can’t help but procrastinate as long as possible. A typical scenario usually involves a student sitting in the library with their books open, notebooks out and computer on, their eyes glued to a website that has nothing to do with school. Forget YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. True unproductiveness is only possible on websites loaded with endless pictures, texts, comments, videos and articles that are so outlandish you can’t help but sit there staring, and clicking aimlessly for hours.
Ultimately, using procrastination sites can convince a student to get their work done, but only after at least an hour of mindlessness.
After numerous hours of surfing the Web, consulting with friends and becoming entranced by the websites featured in this article, here is a list of 10 procrastination websites that will make it a cinch to minimize assignments and maximize browser windows.
To reach optimal viewing pleasure, the following is recommended: set a time limit on the sites and share anything worthy with friends or, better yet, recruit a viewing partner.
StumbleUpon.com
Create a free account, choose the categories you find interesting and start stumbling. There is anything from news articles to quizzes to lists of must see YouTube videos that pop up. The best part is, as soon as you lose interest click the “Stumble!” button and move to the next page.
Procrastination time: 1+ hours.
Similar site: Digg.com
TextsFromLastNight.com
This site features all those stupid thoughts, less-than-perfect moments and outrageous statements that friends share via text. Anyone can upload an amusing text they have received and share it in anonymity by only referring to the sender and recipient by area code. The site has the top texts separated into “best,” “worst” and “random” categories.
Procrastination time: Less than one hour.
Similar site: There is a Cal Poly version of this website on Facebook.
Example: “(479): Just saw a motorized bathtub. I think this college thing is gonna work out.”
FMyLife.com
Everyone has those moments when they just want to die as they say to themselves: “Did that really just happen?” On FMyLife.com people are encouraged to share these moments in an open forum. People can read and rate the experience as “I agree, your life sucks” or “you totally deserved it.” That way you can determine for yourself, or others, if it should be chalked up to a bad day or an experience worthy of forgetting.
Procrastination time: Less than one hour.
Similar sites: There is a Cal Poly version of this at CalPolyFML.com and MyLifeIsAverage.com.
Example: “Today, I realized that it wasn’t my science partner that smelled bad, it was me. How? The guy I have a crush on handed me a stick of deodorant and said, ‘Please use it.’ FML.”
CollegeHumor.com
CollegeHumor is both an aggregator website, meaning it pulls content from other websites and links to the original, and its own production medium, such as short videos made just for the website. It features pages dedicated to videos, pictures, articles, hotlinks and more. The creators also create daily “Staff Picks” of what they find most amusing.
Procrastination time: 1+ hour.
Similar site: TheChive.com
FreeRice.com
Ever want to procrastinate and help a worthy cause at the same time? Problem solved. FreeRice asks a series of questions and for every correct answer the World Food Programme donates 10 grains of rice to help fight world hunger. There is no time limit for playing and the difficulty level of the questions can be changed at any time.
Procrastination time: Less than one hour.
Similar site: TheHungerSite.com
PostSecret.com
This website is a compilation of secrets sent via postcard and e-mail to the project creator. People from around the world can write anonymous thoughts and experiences that they need to get off their chest, and they are later published on PostSecret.com and in Post Secret books. The “secrets” range from amusing realizations to worried pleas.
Procrastination time: Less than one hour.
Similar site: SixBillionSecrets.com
Example: “I’m pretty sure my dad found my vibrator while helping me move into college! I thought I had it well hidden.”
TheOnion.com
For those interested in procrastination that involves current events, this is the perfect site. The Onion features somewhat newsworthy stories with a humorous spin. Every article is written in a satirical tone and many are parodies of an actual news story. Like many comedic news sources, it prompts the reader to distinguish the news aspects from fictional embellishments.
Procrastination time: One hour or more.
PeopleOfWalmart.com
If you haven’t gotten lost in this abyss of a site yet, you need to. It hosts pictures, mostly from cellphones, submitted from around the country. The pictures are all of people shopping in Walmart, but the catch is that the people are wearing outfits that are jaw-droppingly awkward. One of the best parts is seeing what people in your home state are shopping in.
Procrastination time: Less than one hour.
Similar site: PeopleOfPublicTransit.com
AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com
This site invites people to share any awkward family photo they were tricked into taking or willing to take part in. It allows for a caption to be included that conveys the thoughts the picture provokes in a retrospective sense.
Procrastination time: Less than one hour.
Similar site: AwkwardFamilyPetPhotos.com
EpicFail.com
EpicFail is a cumulative site of pictures and videos of people or objects attempting to complete a task or serve a purpose, but every time the attempt falls short and becomes an “epic fail.” The best of these so-called fails are further separated into categories such as animal, celeb, game, people and sport fails.
Procrastination time: Less than one hour.
Similar sites: FailBlog.org and LameBook.com
PerezHilton.com
Anyone who has ever picked up a tabloid, gossip magazine or watched TMZ is probably already familiar with Perez Hilton. For those who are not, Perez and his team gather the latest in celebrity — or as Perez says, “celeb” – gossip and share it on his website. Every story is accompanied by a photo of the celeb, or celebs, in question, commentary by Perez and when appropriate, a video or link.
Procrastination time: 1+ hour.
Similar site: TheSuperficial.com