self-interrupt

English

Etymology

From self- +‎ interrupt.

Verb

self-interrupt (third-person singular simple present self-interrupts, present participle self-interrupting, simple past and past participle self-interrupted)

1. (transitive, intransitive) to interrupt (an ongoing task or activity, or the person performing it) due to distractions, or shifting priorities.
   • 2016, Dawna Ballard, Matthew McGlone, editors, Work Pressures: New Agendas in Communication, Taylor & Francis, page 12:

     The class discussion that ensued after her statement confirmed that having limited technology distractions helped the students realize that not only did they self-interrupt themselves, but they were causing their own perceptions of overload by being so responsive to others.

   • 2017, Lee Hadlington, Cybercognition: Brain, Behaviour and the Digital World, SAGE Publications, page 117:

     As was mentioned in a previous section, the lure of digital technology may also be having a wider impact on the potential for individuals to automatically ‘self-interrupt’ their current activities.

   • 2022, Gloria Mark, Multitasking in the Digital Age, Springer International Publishing, page 36:

     We don’t know exactly why people self-interrupt. There can, in fact, be different reasons. People may self-interrupt to take a break. People may self-interrupt out of habit or may even be conditioned to self-interrupt. One reason that could explain some self-interruptions is that they occur when people need a problem to incubate.

   • 2024, Dr Faye Begeti, The Phone Fix: The Brain-Focused Guide to Building Healthy Digital Habits and Breaking Bad Ones, Bloomsbury Publishing, page 207:

     This test helps to (a) build your executive stamina and train your brain not to act on impulses immediately, and (b) determine whether the urge to self-interrupt is a habit or a need for a brief disconnection.

Derived terms

• self-interruption