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My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll

alexanderell.is

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Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll

#51

Post by sodality2 »

moltke wrote: post #47
sodality2 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Everyone knows how bad it is now, there's no excuse. I disagree. Ask any 20-30 year old and I don't think many will say that TikTok, Instagram, etc is "harmful to your health". Maybe a "bit addictive", maybe a few people who say "I have a problem with it". But never "I know this is very harmful for my attention span, my mental health, etc".

By "everyone" I really meant people building things. IE: If someone builds something with infinite scrolling that's like putting caffeine/alcohol/cocaine in a drink.

Ah okay, I agree. Unfortunately it's really easy for PMs to hide that behind flowery language like "to increase retention rates", "improve user experience", etc.

Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll

#52

Post by drewcon »

herval wrote: post #33
sodality2 wrote: post #24

I'm still young so maybe my mind hasn't matured enough to where I can combat this well. So I went heavy-handed - I have a button on my desk that when I press it, my server's DNS server (through which all my devices and router resolve) begins rejecting requests to reddit, instagram, twitter, hackernews, news.google.com, etc. For the next two hours, there is nothing I can do outside of SSH'ing through my mobile device…

This could seriously be a good commercial product!

I would buy this.

Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll

#53

Post by kempbellt »

sodality2 wrote: post #36
tailspin2019 wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh you evil genius. I’m stealing this idea.

Please do! I use AdGuard Home [0] and the built-in mechanism for "blocked services". [0]: https://github.com/AdguardTeam/AdGuardHome

It isn't the push-button setup that you've built, but PiHole is a decent option for this purpose as well.

Occasionally I add social media sites (including HN) to the block list.

It's very easy to bypass when I really want/need to, but it does cut down the more unconscious "CMD + T - news/redd/face - enter" moments that happen when I'm bored.

Prevents the occasional unnecessary mindless scroll by creating a couple extra steps.

Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll

#54

Post by brigandish »

herval wrote: post #33
sodality2 wrote: post #24

I'm still young so maybe my mind hasn't matured enough to where I can combat this well. So I went heavy-handed - I have a button on my desk that when I press it, my server's DNS server (through which all my devices and router resolve) begins rejecting requests to reddit, instagram, twitter, hackernews, news.google.com, etc. For the next two hours, there is nothing I can do outside of SSH'ing through my mobile device…

This could seriously be a good commercial product!

I can see parents wanting to use it.

Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll

#55

Post by mikeomoto »

sodality2 wrote: post #24

I'm still young so maybe my mind hasn't matured enough to where I can combat this well. So I went heavy-handed - I have a button on my desk that when I press it, my server's DNS server (through which all my devices and router resolve) begins rejecting requests to reddit, instagram, twitter, hackernews, news.google.com, etc. For the next two hours, there is nothing I can do outside of SSH'ing through my mobile device…

> I'm still young so maybe my mind hasn't matured enough to where I can combat this well.

I'm not sure this changes as you age, it certainly hasn't for me. :(

Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll

#56

Post by codazoda »

sodality2 wrote: post #45
adhesive_wombat wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you use for the button?

A small push button attached to a Raspberry Pi. It runs a bash script that sends the network request to my AdGuard Home server, adding a list of domains to the blocklist. After two hours, it undoes the changes. I usually review the DNS requests in the two hours after, to look for other time-suckers, and have since added every single non-productivity-related website to the blocklist. Apparently I compulsively check th…

Do you have more info about the button and how that works? I’d love to read about it.

I’ve built a simple slot machine and loaded it with a raspberry pi. Now I’m building some rudimentary slot software for it, but I also need to wire up the buttons to the GPIO pins.

Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll

#57

Post by Terry_Roll »

lonely_wanderer wrote: post #22
vedtopkar wrote: post #3

It’s honestly so bad. No matter how hard I try, I find myself re-downloading TikTok or Reddit (Apollo) every month and then wasting away all my free time for a week or two before re-deleting them out of disgust. I truly don’t know what the solution is. I would just get rid of my smartphone if life wasn’t quite inconvenient without it.

I think the first step is admitting that, even with any incidental value you get out of these services, it is an addiction and you are addicted. I don’t say this with negative connotation to your character. Digital media has made me realize how powerless addiction makes one feel, even if one is well adjusted otherwise. The reality is you binge, much like a binge drinker, and wake up a week later with the app hangover…

> it is an addiction and you are addicted

This is legal dopamine, and cocaine although a Selective Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor (SDRI) is illegal. You choose.

Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll

#58

Post by sodality2 »

kempbellt wrote: post #53
sodality2 wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please do! I use AdGuard Home [0] and the built-in mechanism for "blocked services". [0]: https://github.com/AdguardTeam/AdGuardHome

It isn't the push-button setup that you've built, but PiHole is a decent option for this purpose as well. Occasionally I add social media sites (including HN) to the block list. It's very easy to bypass when I really want/need to, but it does cut down the more unconscious " CMD + T - news/redd/face - enter " moments that happen when I'm bored. Prevents the occasional unnecessary mindless scroll by creating a couple e…

That's exactly right - It's always good to put roadblocks and increase resistance to bad habits, and take away roadblocks and decrease resistance to good habits. It works better for me than cold turkey.

Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll

#59

Post by sodality2 »

codazoda wrote: post #56
sodality2 wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A small push button attached to a Raspberry Pi. It runs a bash script that sends the network request to my AdGuard Home server, adding a list of domains to the blocklist. After two hours, it undoes the changes. I usually review the DNS requests in the two hours after, to look for other time-suckers, and have since added every single non-productivity-related website to the blocklist. Apparently I compulsively check th…

Do you have more info about the button and how that works? I’d love to read about it. I’ve built a simple slot machine and loaded it with a raspberry pi. Now I’m building some rudimentary slot software for it, but I also need to wire up the buttons to the GPIO pins.

Here's one guide I found: https://raspberrypihq.com/use-a-push-button-with-raspberry-p...

Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll

#60

Post by tsian2 »

ReaLNero wrote: post #6

A very hacky solution that I've found to combat TikTok's infinite feed is to scroll up instead. I skip to the 20-th video in the feed, watch each video, and then exit once I'm done with the 20. Hitting the top gives you an off-ramp to get out of the app.

For other things I make use of the "work offline" mode, to see what's loaded in and then leave. I'd like it if browser devs stopped pushing that future further away and maybe gave it a hotkey.
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