Have kids. Addition will automatically go away.
Ask HN: How do you manage Facebook/Whats App/Twitter/Email/Etc addiction?
21–30 of 82 posts
Re: Ask HN: How do you manage Facebook/Whats App/Twitter/Email/Etc addiction?
#22Basic rules that have helped me over the years:
1 - No social media apps on my phone[1] that might be tempting to check during the work day
2 - No social media logins on my work laptop of a distinctly personal nature[2]
3 - Only checking social media when getting home and after a few minutes it's just tiring to wade through stuff and it makes it a lot easier to close it up and not be conditioned to think those outlets are worth the consistent attention
[1] This doesn't count Periscope which I use for promotional purposes or might come in handy in a pinch for sharing (but I don't open during work or watch many other streams)
[2] Social media doesn't include some forums, I'm strictly speaking FB/Twitter/etc. Forums are a different beast. Thankfully I tend to get tired of some which enable me to avoid them, or if I return, I've deleted my account and just read.
Re: Ask HN: How do you manage Facebook/Whats App/Twitter/Email/Etc addiction?
#23I use Focus[1] in hardcore mode, scheduled from 22:00-12:55 and 13:00-19:00.
I really suggest reading Deep Work by Cal Newport.
For my phone - I deleted all of my social apps (apart from Instagram, Swarm etc) and keep it in another room or in my bag as much as possible.
Re: Ask HN: How do you manage Facebook/Whats App/Twitter/Email/Etc addiction?
#24Simple. I don't have an account on Facebook/Twitter/whatever. While others might find it necessary I find them utterly boring and irrelevant. I think that not owning a smartphone helps a lot in that aspect. I have a dumbphone with a battery that lasts for weeks and I'm happy with my choice. As for e-mail, I have two accounts, one for work, one for everyone else. I don't check the latter while at work, ever.
Re: Ask HN: How do you manage Facebook/Whats App/Twitter/Email/Etc addiction?
#25Quit using [insert service] for a period of time.
When you no longer feel a need to use it, then it is safe to use it. This has been the best cure for addictions for me in the past, but YMMV.
Re: Ask HN: How do you manage Facebook/Whats App/Twitter/Email/Etc addiction?
#26Of the items listed, I only use email. Call me a Luddite but all of those other things are just unnecessary distractions. I find that my life is much more focused when I control the funnel of noise. I have an RSS reader for news and email or a phone for communication. All these other potential streams of data are like road signs or commercials: I know they're there but I've made such an effort to ignore them that the…
you can just:
$ grep face /etc/hosts
Re: Ask HN: How do you manage Facebook/Whats App/Twitter/Email/Etc addiction?
#27Having a Pomodoro [1] app on your desktop/laptop helps. It sounded lame to me initially (do work in 25 min chunks), but it seems to work for me. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique
By way of disclaimer, I don't really have the problem OP describes; don't really even understand it.
But I'll second pomodoros for pushing productivity and focus without killing yourself.
I'll add that daily exercise improves clarity of mind (read: more focus and other benefits). And having a busy schedule limits my ability to spend time on social media or sites like Hacker News; so when I do spend time on them, I tend to be more efficient with it (i.e., focus on those things most important to me) and feel like I get more out of it.
I think that last bit may be part of the problem for OP: the reward becoming harder and hard to get, requiring more and more time. Going cold turkey and then slowly introducing Facebook et al., back in might help a lot.
Re: Ask HN: How do you manage Facebook/Whats App/Twitter/Email/Etc addiction?
#28I predicted there'd be a lot of sanctimonious "I just don't have an account, they're a waste of time" responses, and it seems like I was right. That's great for you, but that's really not helpful to someone who already has an account and is struggling to quit. And it can be a real struggle. The dopamine hits on likes and favs and the fear of missing out on a conversation can be really hard to break.
Like the OP, I'm using StayFocusd and I've used RescueTime in the past, and it's actually been very helpful for me. Right now I've given up Facebook and I'm tackling Reddit next. I don't have a solution for my phone, but it hasn't been a problem for me because I leave it charging across the room when I'm working. It's still difficult for me during evenings, but I'll probably try something similar for that soon.
Re: Ask HN: How do you manage Facebook/Whats App/Twitter/Email/Etc addiction?
#29Deactivated my FB since 2012. Happier more productive ever since. These days I only do Instagram.
Re: Ask HN: How do you manage Facebook/Whats App/Twitter/Email/Etc addiction?
#30I use this "Block site" plugin [0] to redirect facebook.com -> openlistings.com because I still want FB pixels, etc to work for web development.
Keeps me addicted to the right things :).
[0]: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/block-site/eiimnmi...