Put your TV on mute when you are on the phone?

I have to put it on mute, otherwise my mind trys to take in what the person on the phone is saying and what the TV is saying at the same time, then I end up taking nothing in.

yeah, its annoying in pubs aswell, I can't concentrate/hear someone when theres loads of people talking, even if its not very noisy. Its like I'm standing in the middle of a motorway.

I put my TV on mute all the time. Like when I'm on the phone or if I'm doing homework and sometimes even when I'm on the computer and am trying to concentrate on something.

I do to, I cannot hear "two channels" at the same time, and hear neither of them. Same if someone else is trying to talk to me when I am on the phone. I don't have that filter that some have. In a crowded or noisy social place, I just shut down because of this.

I don't. I can do both things except when I don't care about what the person in the other side is saying.

Is this channel thing an ADD thing?

Or does many non Add'ers have this problem aswell?

I was pretty good before being medicated and having nervous break-down to have the tv on, listen to music, and read stuff online at the same time.

Does anyone else mute the TV when the commercials are on? I do this for two reasons, one they are annoying as ****, second, I want to think during the commercials.

Now, with Ritalin, I can only concentrate on ONE thing at a time, it's annoying sometimes, especially when talking to girls, as I completely ignore them on the phone (not in person :D) and listen to music or read stuff online, and this causes them to become ****ed off. Other times its awesome, like when watching a movie or music or well anything lol that's why I'm taking it.

No, but I can't pay attention to the phone even while on meds unless I have something else to do. Most times, I end up cleaning, sorting laundry or cooking. Otherwise, it's " Hi, this is Mark... bla blah blah blah... which was CRAZY because... blah blah blah blah... Are YOU LISTENING TO ME???" Honestly, no...

Before starting meds for ADD, I did my best studying in coffee shops... really loud ones.

Also, for as long as I can remember I have only been able to focus while practicing bassoon if I sat right in front of the TV and turned up the volume a fair amount. For some reason, it helped me focus better on my intonation and i actually sat there long enough to practice. Otherwise, 5 minutes would pass and I would think, "oh I wonder what so-&-so is up to, why don't I go check?"

Before starting meds for ADD, I did my best studying in coffee shops... really loud ones.

The more noise and distraction the more I am able to relax in what I am doing. I work better with more noise and activity going on around me. On Ritalin though I can drown out pretty much everything else, but it's nicer to have silence now I notice. It's all related to why it makes me feel normal. Most people need quiet to concentrate, I never needed that. In fact, now I notice that I get frustrated by distractions whereas before I couldn't help but pay attention to everything going on around me. My frustration tolerance threshold has dropped considerably on Ritalin unfortunately.

I was pretty good before being medicated and having nervous break-down to have the tv on, listen to music, and read stuff online at the same time.

Does anyone else mute the TV when the commercials are on? I do this for two reasons, one they are annoying as ****, second, I want to think during the commercials.

Now, with Ritalin, I can only concentrate on ONE thing at a time, it's annoying sometimes, especially when talking to girls, as I completely ignore them on the phone (not in person :D) and listen to music or read stuff online, and this causes them to become ****ed off. Other times its awesome, like when watching a movie or music or well anything lol that's why I'm taking it.

That's exactly what happens to me. I used to do so many things at the same time and now it just really hard! Now I understand people who are doing something and frustrate me because of that. I hate when we are doing the same stuff and I want to talk but they don't react, can't talk or take a grance at something. Thinking like a "normal" person is boring.

Before starting meds for ADD, I did my best studying in coffee shops... really loud ones.

Wow, how could you?!
This last year the only way I could study was by going to the individual cubicules in the school's library with noise cancelling headphones (turned off, just to eliminate noise). They are some kind of small tables with two walls on each side; my only distractors were my pen, pencil, eraser, notebook, book, sometimes laptop, and my own mind...wait, they are a lot.

Sometimes I wasn't so lucky and I would find a magazine or book there...
you know, you start checking what is it about and you end reading it instead of studying. Hours later the librarian tells you to leave because they're closing. It sucks.

Is this channel thing an ADD thing?

Or does many non Add'ers have this problem aswell?

It's not a problem per se. In fact is one of the good things many ADDers have. With channels they are refering to people talking, activities, etc. When not under meds I can do tons of stuff at the same time as long as I'm interested in them.

I like to have lots of things going on at once. I did better if I was in front of the TV studying then sitting in quite room. It allows me to focus better and also take breaks often. I can't do paper work with out at least music on.
At my house the TV is on, ill have music playing and ill be at the computer, plus I'm usually cooking something also. I bounce around to all the stuff going on.

Usually I forget what I was watching during the commercials and go to find something interesting to watch. Our DVR reduces this a lot, as I can skip the commercials. :D

If I am on the phone I can listen to both, kinda. When I hang up I probably missed something they said, or most of what they said.

I love muting my TV.

Speaking of TVs:

My roommate has this insanely large 60" HDTV. Most of the time, I cannot watch it because it is so big it is overwhelming and it stresses me out. It's like it invades my brain.

Anyone else like this?

yes, i use the mute button alot.

Depends on the day.

My wife laughs when im playing a game, watching tv, listening to music and talking to her at the same time. I usually have two tvs on at the same time, as long as they dont interfere in content im good to go(sports+comedy good, comedy+comedy not good).

I cant study in silence, people use to tell me to go to the library, I hated the library until I found a corner where I could listen to music and drink coffee and do what ever. Library is a good place to find things to study that you dont NEED to study.

Mute, sometimes, depends.