distraction addict
n. A person whose attention is easily and constantly drawn away from the task at hand.
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2015
There is definitely a correlation between my digital activity and my stress and anxiety levels. And I do more than ever to keep the latter in check: massages, reflexology, yoga, acupuncture, exec coaching — oh, and lots of wine and off-loading to friends. One thing I haven't yet tried is a digital detox. But the truth is: I am addicted. I find myself craving distraction. I’m a distraction addict and digital is my drug.
—Amanda Davie, “Is our digital behaviour causing bad behaviour?,” The Drum, March 13, 2015
2014
Over the past few weeks I’ve been trying to let myself be bored, and to note the type. A confirmed distraction addict, I often found it torturous, but at times surprisingly rewarding.
—Kate Bussmann, “Is boredom good for you?,” The Telegraph, June 01, 2014
2013
Some people are just gluttons for punishment. A pair of self-professed online distraction addicts, Robert R. Morris and Dan McDuff, have created a tool called “Pavlov Poke” that will zap them if they spend too much time on Facebook and not enough time working on their dissertations.
—Seth Colaner, “Pavlov Poke Keyboard Device Shocks You If You're Facebooking Too Much,” Hot Hardware, August 26, 2013
1997 (earliest)
In a Gaumont film from 1910, Rosalie et Léonce à théâtre, a pair of women audience members annoy the male viewers in front of them by identifying with the spectacle to the point of bursting into hysterical tears. A typical article from 1914 details the female distraction-addict's abuse of the image:
—Roger Clestin, “On the Eve of Distraction: Gaumont's Fantômas, 1913-14,” Sites: Volume 1, Issue 1, January 01, 1997