As a tech journalist, I'm almost always online. This sometimes leads to certain habits that are not necessarily conducive to productivity or mental health. I'm pretty sure most people would relate to that statement, regardless of their profession, to say the least.
My current nightmare? It's definitely my use of social media. Like many others, I've been examining my own habits in the wake of the growing public backlash around social media. Ethics and morals aside, my conclusion was pretty simple: I'm wasting too much time with these apps.
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Diagnosis of the problem
A five-minute search for updates or news can turn into half an hour of scrolling through completely irrelevant content.
To be honest, I was never very interested in Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. I always thought LinkedIn was pretty boring, and X/Twitter is obviously a cesspool that should be avoided at all costs. I've always stayed pretty far away from all the usual suspects with a kind of haughty pride, while ignoring my own increasing use of Reddit and YouTube.
I've noticed (ironically, while browsing these apps) that people tend to give these platforms a sort of “soft pass” when it comes to categorizing what is harmful and what is not. Self-help subreddits and YouTube videos are filled with “digital detox” stories without a hint of irony. Maybe I'm being too critical here, but in my experience, these apps are just as addictive as the others.
And when you work on your home PC, as I do most of the time, it's exceptionally easy to get distracted, regardless of the app. A five-minute search for updates or news can turn into half an hour of scrolling through completely irrelevant content. Before you know it, you'll have wasted a lot of time with nothing to show for it.
Of course, we all have slow days, but I can't ignore that in recent years I have found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on all types of tasks. Even things that normally interested me, like reading a book, have become increasingly difficult. It usually doesn't take long before I find myself browsing Reddit or Google Discover.
If it was just eating up my productivity or free time, then I could live with a little bit of scrolling. The problem, for me, is that it distracts me from the things I love to do, like reading or playing guitar. Even when I schedule time specifically to do these things, I usually get distracted.
The first weeks
From my previous attempts to quit various things (particularly caffeine), I knew that going cold turkey was going to be the best approach. For some people, gradually reducing usage is effective, but it has never worked for me at all. I usually go for the “get away and sweat” approach (admittedly, with mixed results).
So, I figured out a pretty simple path. I close all Reddit and YouTube tabs in my browser, delete the apps on my phone, and then just “do other things.” The things in this case are my job, my hobbies, reading physical books, etc. It's a rough approach, I admit, but I was hoping that a little discipline would do most of the work as the dopamine slowly drained from my brain.
For the first few days, the approach also seemed to work. Aside from the expected boredom and restlessness, the difference was immediately marked. Without “easy” options to fill the space, I suddenly felt like I had a lot more free time.
I got more work done, I enjoyed my hobbies more, and even my apartment seemed much tidier. So far everything is going well; it seemed that significant progress was being made. Even better, I didn't even miss Reddit.
where i went wrong
Editorial sites are increasingly excluded from search results in favor of social networks.
So why am I writing this? Well, obviously, I fell off the wagon. Just a month later, I'm almost back to square one, albeit with the determination to curb my consumption again.
When things started to go wrong was around week two or three. I enjoyed recording music in my free time so much that I decided to pick up a new bass. This seemingly innocent decision is where I made a critical mistake.
When researching what to buy, I did what anyone would do: start with a simple Google search.
Get a ton of results with Reddit threads and YouTube videos detailing a comprehensive list of products. Anyway, you can imagine how things went from here. Reading threads and watching videos “strictly for research purposes” became checking the front pages for relevant content. Almost subconsciously, I found myself falling into the old routine of mindlessly scrolling through Reddit without giving it much thought.
Editorial sites like TechRadar are increasingly being excluded from search results in favor of social media, which can be a good or a bad thing, depending on your point of view. Either way, it makes it increasingly difficult to find information without getting sucked into the whirlpool of social media. These sites permeate many platforms now.
Although I'm more or less back to square one, I have a much clearer perspective of where to go from here. For one, I'll make sure not to violate my self-imposed ban for any reason (even when “researching” products). Secondly, I think I'll be setting aside some time off work in the not-too-distant future to spend some quality time away from the screen.
I'm wary of the term “digital detox” because it reminds me of some kind of self-help fad, but in this case, I'm sure spending some time away from screens would help immensely in correcting habits. Less distractions, less meaningless content, and hopefully more time to focus on the things that really matter.
