Digitopia is ruining our lives

Recently, as an experiment, I've begun compartmentalizing my digital tools.

I've set up different system accounts for different tasks, then I configured each account with its own privoxy proxy that blocks websites that are not related to that task. The proxies are there basically as a reminder, since a lot of these tabs tend to open without thinking of it.

So for example, on my work account, I can't use social media and news; on my social media account, I can't access github, access dashboards, or check my mail. Phone's on the work privoxy too.

The idea being that distracted context-switching, e.g. opening a hacker news tab any time there's a moment's pause in what you're doing, a moment of frustration, of boredom, any negative motion; that this is a major part of the problem.

This doesn't prevent me from checking up on social media (I'm doing it right now!), but it does mean I can't do so while supposedly working. To use social media, I need to log off the work account, closing anything I'm doing, and log into a different user. That's a lot of friction, and as a result, is something I do maybe once or twice a day for ten to fiteen minutes. I usually don't really find much to engage with and then log off.

I do find myself needing to make active choices a lot more. Like if I find I don't know what to do next, I need to decide on something. I can't just default to grabbing my phone and start cycling through the usual tabs. It's taken a while to get used to reading these moments as cues for getting off my ass and doing something, but it's also incredibly impactful.

The critical part of the regimen is that it does not have many of the drawbacks you get with going offline completely (or using a dumbphone), where you can't park your car because you need an app for that, or people try to get ahold of you and messenger isn't working on your brick.

Technology is just a delivery mechanism which can be used for good or bad interactions. The problem is some technology is optimised for delivering the bad interactions because it benefits the technology vendor. Use technology that you control and decide when to interact with.

What I see is a lot of people saying on the one hand “I want my privacy and to be left alone” then hiring a vendor that is motivated to take your data and bug the shit out of you because it’s cheaper and subsidised by this poor behaviour. On top of that they then install apps which damage multiply that.

Incidentally on notifications all my kit is set on do not disturb all the time apart from alarms when I need to get up.

I generally agree with the defined problem, but when a prescription is provided then that becomes the new goal rather than the initial desired outcome (no more negative effects of digitopia). Your progress is compared against your adherence to the protocol firstly, then the initial desired outcome secondly.

With that being said, to be a bit hypocritical, and with the disclaimer that this is non-exhaustive and different things work for different people, the protocol that has worked for me is as follows:

Delete all social media

Meditate hour a day

Gym (weights, cardio) 5x a week

Good sleep

Proper diet and supplementation

Have job that pays good enough and be good at it

Live well below my means and take on no debt

I think once you remove basically everything, and you’ve listened and quieted all of your thoughts and sophisticated ape urges, you come to understand things truthfully, and wisdom + stoicism + peace naturally ensues.

That's almost the same strategy I used to get a better work/life balance. I created a new user account on my computer and then connecting to services I used for work on it. Switching accounts is a pain (I logged off after using one), so that added enough friction for me. Similar things with social media. I allowed myself to use them, but only through a private tabs. It reduced the urge to visit them.