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The great digital fatigue: How digital burnout is changing social media use

blog.incogni.com

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Re: The great digital fatigue: How digital burnout is changing social media use

#61
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Understand that social media endorphin-inducing algorithm optimizers, have made these sites optimized for _all_ ages, so it should not be a surprise. Very few of us are immune.

The biggest culprits are the senior citizens. They are the most addicted to social media.

My MIL in her 70s has been staying with us for the past month or so and her phone habits are bonkers. I rarely use my phone at home, have young kids that are small-screen free; so we tend to engage in conversations and activities during family time, or even just watch big-screens movies/TV as a family. The MIL is glued to the phone/tablet and constantly wants to talk to everyone about it like it’s a shared experience. “Who’s this lady in the photo with Janet?” Like we know or care, maybe ask Janet or just scroll on. Anyways I don’t criticize her directly but my wife has even become annoyed by it and I’ve asked her to have a etiquette conversation with her or give her feedback some way because I can’t stand it for another month lol.

Re: The great digital fatigue: How digital burnout is changing social media use

#62
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Understand that social media endorphin-inducing algorithm optimizers, have made these sites optimized for _all_ ages, so it should not be a surprise. Very few of us are immune.

The biggest culprits are the senior citizens. They are the most addicted to social media.

Anecdata here but my 60-something year old mother acts like a sullen teenager around my kids/her grandchildren. She just scrolls endlessly on her phone until my father/her husband calls her out on it.

It's maddening and sad.

Re: The great digital fatigue: How digital burnout is changing social media use

#63
post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have noticed the same. Silencing all notifications and checking it on a timer is a big step.

Yes! My phone is alway on silent and it kills when I look at my phone 5 hours later and have missed calls, but WELP lol

There aren't many things that can't wait an hour.

By notifications I mean the ones that aren't phone calls.

You know, the social media updates, the emails, the instant messaging that thinks it's more important than whatever you're doing.

Notification silencing can be selective and blissful.

Interruptions can be the enemy of productivity that everyone is chasing.

Re: The great digital fatigue: How digital burnout is changing social media use

#64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The biggest culprits are the senior citizens. They are the most addicted to social media.

My MIL in her 70s has been staying with us for the past month or so and her phone habits are bonkers. I rarely use my phone at home, have young kids that are small-screen free; so we tend to engage in conversations and activities during family time, or even just watch big-screens movies/TV as a family. The MIL is glued to the phone/tablet and constantly wants to talk to everyone about it like it’s a shared experience…

[dead]

Re: The great digital fatigue: How digital burnout is changing social media use

#65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

yeah but what you're saying is unclear. for instance, when you say because they have to, not because they need to... "have to" and "need to" mean the same thing, so i'm left with the choice of concluding your post is just mush or asking you to rephrase what you're trying to say in a way that's intelligible.

Perhaps I should have written "because they feel they have to and not because they need to."

that's the second half of the comment. Can you also explain the first half?

Re: The great digital fatigue: How digital burnout is changing social media use

#66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The biggest culprits are the senior citizens. They are the most addicted to social media.

My MIL in her 70s has been staying with us for the past month or so and her phone habits are bonkers. I rarely use my phone at home, have young kids that are small-screen free; so we tend to engage in conversations and activities during family time, or even just watch big-screens movies/TV as a family. The MIL is glued to the phone/tablet and constantly wants to talk to everyone about it like it’s a shared experience…

Yup, my parents (mainly dad) are the same, reading social media, putting the speakers on, falling for all of the AI generated stuff, rage bait, etc, and broadcasting it to the world because idk, they still seek engagement and interaction I suppose.

But at least it's only part of their day.

Re: The great digital fatigue: How digital burnout is changing social media use

#68
post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Understand that social media endorphin-inducing algorithm optimizers, have made these sites optimized for _all_ ages, so it should not be a surprise. Very few of us are immune.

The biggest culprits are the senior citizens. They are the most addicted to social media.

I agree, and I think it’s due to the decline of executive cognition and the behavioral training of the TV generation. They believe the news, and grew up in a time when trust was aplenty.

Re: The great digital fatigue: How digital burnout is changing social media use

#69

Its strange for me. Some years ago, I only thought that the younger kids/adults was had the "separation anxiety" when it came to social media, but I have a 40 year old sister in law that is purely obsessed and it is crazy. I'm a big tech person but I know how to put my phone down. Heck most of the time I don't even have it on me.

Similar experiences. Many people are surprised when I do have the phone wiht me in person during walks, at meetings, etc. In the sea of digitals, I find peace in writing with pen/paper.

Re: The great digital fatigue: How digital burnout is changing social media use

#70

I am on a path to recovery from social media addiction (Twitter/x > Instagram > Youtube Shorts). Here is what has worked for me so far - 1. Uninstall the apps, but replace them with mobile browser views. All these services have functional web views that will feed your withdrawal, but adds friction to slowly wind you out. 2. Desktop/laptop (that you use for studying/working) - modify you /etc/hosts and map x.com to lo…

An additional suggestion would be to use uBlock Origin on a deskop/laptop and add the sites to the block list, which is what I did.
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