At various times in my life, I've spent way too much time on Twitter. I've been using Twitterrific for a couple months, which does not have the Explore tab and does not include things in your TL that you don't explicitly follow. The UI also makes it a bit less easy to read replies than the official Twitter app does. I find myself spending almost no time on Twitter now, and it's great.
My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll
231–240 of 459 posts
Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll
#232Lately I've become convinced that video games and social media are in the same class as drugs and alcohol. They're a pretty fun way to kill time, but some people are predisposed to doing too much, and too much is dangerous. Also similar to drugs/alcohol: it seems to affect some people more than others. I know people who can check FB/TikTok for a couple minutes and then they're done, and I also know people who continu…
> video games and social media are in the same class as drugs and alcohol. Disagreed - one key aspect of the latter is physical dependance where withdraws are potentially life threatening. It's similar sledge hammer approach to putting weed on class 1 or treating all wrong doings as 'sin'. They are not the same things, should not be thought as the same nor treated the same.
I mean things can be addictive. I used to smoke hella weed and was dependent on it to function. Basically I was addicted to wake and bake and just be high all day. I was still “functional” to others but to myself I was miserable and a husk. I was going to the dispensary every couple days and spending forty bucks. I’m not saying weed is bad, but like anything else moderation and control are required. Now I just smoke on very special occasions like my bday or getting a promotion/raise. But let’s be real while accepting that some people (like me) can get addicted to some things.
I never got hooked on nicotine or alcohol. Nor on video games. But I’m sure some people do get sucked in and feel like crap.
Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll
#233My solution is using a e-ink phone for those apps. So you cannot "scroll" smoothly. But you use the paging button. The visual stimulus is much lower.
Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll
#234I'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 used to scoff at things like Windscribe's ROBERT which does similar things for social sites, clickbait, gambling sites, porn etc... Thinking it's more like a child blocker. But I've had battles with addiction and issues myself with keeping focused. Being able to have some kind of actual switch for what I can access often acts as a mental toggle. It changes my mode so to speak and I end up getting more done. There's…
That was going to be my question, don't you just distract yourself more instead with other, non digital, things?
Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll
#235Earlier quoted context omitted.
Read books I'm not joking, it's the best antidote to the thought-theft of "social media". Pick a subject in which you're interested, find a representively excellent text, and read. And then re-read, because unless you're a genius you won't absorb everything first time. Also it's wonderful to just curl up with a book and a cup of tea and let time pass you by as you ... learn the considered thought of others! This is c…
I would love to do this, but years of mindlessly browsing social media has seriously shortened my attention span. I used to read books all the time. I remember staying up late as a kid just to read the new Harry Potter book. Nowadays I pick up a book, read a few pages, then immediately lose interest and go do something else. Anybody know how to get back into reading?
Try reading the same sort of books you'd stay up late as a kid to read.
Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll
#236I’m curious what the generational divide is for this. I’m 57, love tech and enjoy the positive side of the internet in limited doses. But I find most social media boring. There is incredible and AMAZING art, accidental moments, serious discussion and fascinating analysis of the world to be found online. But without grounding myself in genuine experience in the stinky, cruel real world of human interaction, nature, an…
If you were looking for a generational segmentation you would have to compare different generational cohorts at similar ages (meaning a long-term study) to have any hope of controlling for people's having different levels of maturity, discipline, social needs, and for lack of a better term, being-fed-up-with-things-that-are-bullshit. I suspect it's not generational per se, but heavily age-dependent. If you no longer crave the Twinkies or McDonald's meals you did as a kid, you kind of know what I'm talking about.
Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll
#237Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah but there is nothing on social media that you actually need to survive.
phones are pretty convenient though. even just having a camera and gps in one small device is nice.
For day to day activities? No, you probably don't need GPS and camera.
I gave up my smartphone a decade ago. It's only "inconvenient" when people expect me to have internet in my pocket.
Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll
#238Earlier quoted context omitted.
The DNS server is set in my phone as well (still works over data). But even if it wasn't, I live in a third-world country that still has crude data caps (the United States) so consuming video would probably quickly approach it.
How are you setting DNS in your phone?
WiFi settings or DNS over HTTPS settings on Android 9. (I had to forget my network and reconnect with static instead of DHCP to manually set a DNS IP)
Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll
#239Earlier quoted context omitted.
phones are pretty convenient though. even just having a camera and gps in one small device is nice.
For day to day activities? No, you probably don't need GPS and camera. I gave up my smartphone a decade ago. It's only "inconvenient" when people expect me to have internet in my pocket.
I don't _need_ it but using a smartphone instead of navigating via a physical map and taking photos of memorable events throughout the day sure is nice.
Re: My lizard brain is no match for infinite scroll
#240I have actually won against doomscroll. I used to spend 5-6 hours per day, and it peaked at 10 hours per day for some days of the year. I realized that doomscrolling is not only clever algorithms trying to get me hooked, but also a symptom of deeper problems that I had. And I realized that I was unhappy because I spent most of my doing things that I didn't like. I was deep frustrated. I did not want to spend my brain…
I've had some success with time blocking (which I usually do by Google searching for "30 min timer"). But I'm curious what you do about asynchronous interrupts? e.g. you block out your morning carefully, then 1h into things a guy you called three weeks ago to ask if he would estimate for painting your fence shows up and wants to spend 30min looking at the job asking questions. Now your time blocks are scattered to th…
I suggest that you read the related chapter from Cal Newport's book. That would be helpful in understanding more about timeblocking.
Daytime is the worst time for focused work- in my personal experience.
Either go deep into the night or wake up really early.
Or any time when you cannot expect interruption.
Focused work also works best when you have someone looking out for you- could be a partner or parents when you are young.
I take those responsibilities in the house that have clear, regular timings. Even if they are harder.
I combine timeblocking + pomodoro, so I get breaks. I walk, drink water. I never read or pick up my smartphone.
Whether you are at work or at home, you have to be vigilant about 2-3 hours of focused, isolated work. You have to carve the time out. You know better about your situation. So I will leave that to you.
Don't do meetings, or open emails, or browse social media in this time.
I was never able to go beyond 6 hours of very productive, innovative time. That was the peak. The usual looks like 1.5-2 hours per day.
It also does not have to be a big chunk. The time can be divided into two. But don't do more.
And, I will also state the obvious- no matter how much time is gone from your block, do the rest honestly. Be vigilant about it. Do not be a time-use purist. That harmed me a lot when I was in HS. I would plan to spend 4 hours on something, and if one hour were gone, I would do none of the rest 4. Don't be like that.