My Debate To Ditch Social Media
Categories:
[Self Improvement]
Tags:
[ideas],
[apps],
[health],
[social media]
Ever since the new year, I have had a strange funk over me. My motivation to do anything dropped to, basically, zero and there is nothing that I actually wanted to do. Putting out a blog post every day only happens because I just show up. If I had no goal to reach by the end of the year, I would probably not have posted the last week or two.
Showing up is more than half the battle.
That's been my past two weeks or so, and it's not like me. I'm always looking for something to learn or some project to start. I was conscious of the change, and that's good since the first step of solving a problem is admitting it exists. Then yesterday I came across a video on the YouTube channel 2veritasium about how the creator has become anti-social media.
The reasons he listed are not new to my ears. Everything from the tailored lives people present, to the psychological hacking done to keep us there, and how science has proved that we are less happy overall when seeing everyone's curated life before us. Again this all was not news to me but something clicked, and I believe it has to do with the acknowledgment of my lack of motivation two days prior.
Levels of intensity to break loose
Level 1: Browser Only Usage
The first option is to limit all social network attendance to a computer and web browser. I won't be able to post on Instagram or SnapChat, but after a little thought, it will be a small band-aid to rip off. I have not posted on Instagram in weeks (other than the stories feature) and for I dropped SnapChat for years before just reinstalling it about a month or two back.
Other than those two apps I don't use any other social network on my mobile device so it would I would just carry on a normal...
Level 2: Digital Detox
Then there is the digital detox where we take a chunk of time and say no to everything that is not important for some extended amount of time. This would be best with some kind of filter system to stop the mindless impulse. It's easy to do with /etc/hosts on Linux but just as easy to undo.
Level 3: Dopamine Reset
This is by far the most extreme but may be the best option to refuel my motivation. The idea is to deprive your self of anything that will release dopamine easily for at least 24 hours. This includes social media, apps, games, even eating. All that is allowed is basically reading and walking. I first heard about this in a video by Improvement Pill, and while it sounds crazy, the guy swears by it for resetting his motivation.
If you have tactics that have helped you in the past, please let me know. You can message me via XMPP at jrswab[at sign]kode.im.
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