TALK columnist Lucy Wang is a sophomore at Shanghai American School. Each month she gives us her perspective on the lives of Shanghai’s youth.

I don't have to exaggerate when I say that procrastination is a secret hobby of much of Shanghai’s student population. Facebook, MySpace, MSN, Twitter, as well as a string of computer games are an integral part of our daily lives. Although I myself have to admit to the occasional computer distraction, this phenomenon still puzzles me tremendously.

Whenever I log onto MSN or Facebook (the only two I regularly use), I can be sure to find at least five or six of my friends online as idle as can be. On top of that, a great number of students are also experts at World of Warcraft, Halo, and other games I can’t even name let alone play. These computer profiles take an extensive amount of time to build up, and with all the homework we have from school, I can't help but wonder how we find time to do both.
 
My school has just become a 1:1 laptop school this year – and many other international schools have also put into practice similar programs – which makes this computer-related procrastination all the more worrisome. Now students will not only be able to distract themselves while doing homework, but also in class.

Gaming and social networks offer a mindless alternative to listening to lectures, working on assignments, or participating in discussions. We as students might not purposely distract ourselves, but inevitably a little voice in our heads will sooner or later start suggesting that we do. Our fingers will start a-twitching and a-typing, and before we know it, we'll have wasted a good half-hour commenting on photos or battling alien races from another planet.

Even though it is generally acknowledged as a bad habit, there doesn't seem to be an end to procrastination. When I ask my friends why they procrastinate, a common response is that doing so motivates them to work harder when they have to, that they work better and get better grades when they put pressure on themselves to complete everything at the last minute.

Perhaps, as long as procrastination is practiced in moderation, it can be beneficial to some. As long as students, me included, can prioritise enough to refrain from clicking away whilst the teacher is busy giving a lesson, there is no harm. So with that said, on a weekend or a not-so-hectic weekday, let us Facebook on (and instant message on, and twitter on, and game on …)!