A few years back, I asked my friend, a PhD student, how his day went. He sighed and said the internet had been down at the library all day.

“Oh,” I said. “So you probably got less done today.”

“No,” he chuckled. “I probably got more done today without the distraction.”

That response stuck with me.

The internet is an incredible tool. I’m grateful for all the music scores, the Protools tutorials, and the wealth of free knowledge online. But let’s be honest—most of the time, I’m not really learning. I’m scrolling, browsing, and tricking myself into thinking I’m being productive.

The hard truth? You’re not learning much online. You’re watching videos with content you already know. Then you check social media. And what happens? You’re not composing.

If you want to be creative, you have to be disciplined enough to shut off the internet. Give yourself the space to think, to focus, to create. The internet isn’t helping you—it’s hurting you.

Turn it off and get to work.