There's no shame with premature eClickulation. We've all done it. In all seriousness, premature eClickulation is a word I coined while complaining to my copywriter about accidentally clicking on the wrong link while surfing the web. I find myself doing it more and more. Not because I have an affinity for clicking the wrong links. There are many reasons that cause us to prematurely click.
As a web designer, I do more internet surfing than most people. I rely on instinct when it comes to web interface experience. If I click the wrong link, I blame it on poor graphic user interface (GUI) design. Some websites intentionally place visual links in hopes that one will prematurely click. You're not fooling me. Instead, you're just wasting my time, because now I have to go back and spend more time figuring out which button to click.
Then there's the "I'm bored" premature clicking as a result of mindless browsing. You're at the DMV or standing in the grocery store and to avoid awkward eye contact, you grab your phone and act like you are doing something really important. I often ask myself, how did I get this deep into Pinterest. I'm also guilty of prematurely clicking the card stack in my Solitaire app. I'm sure gamers prematurely click all the time, but that's to be expected when you're competing.
Recently I updated my Mac's OS. The upgrade seems to have sped up my system and my brain is still operating one click behind. I wasn't about to admit that it was a "me" problem, so I blamed it on my old mouse. "Damn mouse is causing an increase in my premature eClickulation." Rather than replacing my old mouse, I ended up purchasing a Wacom tablet. What was I thinking? There's a huge learning curve with using a pen and tablet. It's only been a couple weeks and I'm getting better at using this new tool, but I feel like I'm prematurely clicking more than ever. At least I'm doing it by accident as I am learning this new tool. I'm confident my premature clicking as a result of the Wacom will recede over time. For now, I'll have to accept premature eClickulation will be a part of my daily work routine.
