Another shift in how I use the Internet.
[I wrote this a while ago on my old site - posting it here again, as it’s related to the one I’ll be writing next]
We all have so many different media platforms at our fingertips. Most, if not all, of which we have access to 24/7 through those mini computers in our pockets.
A while back, I used the internet just like most people I knew - mindlessly scrolling Facebook, watching YouTube, scrolling Reddit's endless front page, etc. At some point, however, I made a conscious decision to change that and to use these platforms as tools, as opposed to entertainment.
I'm not sure what inspired this change, but I was recently reminded of it when I read this article on continually learning.
Be honest: Are you using these platforms for entertainment and distraction, or are you using them to help improve yourself? There’s nothing wrong with either answer - I just didn’t like mine.
I deleted my Facebook and Instagram accounts — which confused and distressed many of my friends — and drastically changed my subscriptions/follows on the other platforms that I frequented. I basically decided that, if I was going to be staring at a screen for X number of hours per week, I should try to use that time to improve myself, as opposed to largely wasting it.
That was quite a while ago now, and I kid you not, my life is much better for the change. I missed them at first, of course, but you’d be surprised how quickly the human mind can adjust.
Not only did I stop spending so much time staring at my phone, but the time I was spending on my phone was much more deliberate and valuable. Still at the mercy of a few algorithms, yes, but they were fewer, and they were much more catered to productivity and positivity.
As of right now, the only social media app on my phone is Apollo, which is a Reddit app. I decided to leave that one on, only under the conditions that I:
Removed the ability to scroll the ‘all’ feed (simply a feed of anything and everything that is popular, at any given moment).
Only subscribed to subreddits (feeds/channels) which would bring me genuine value.
Today, my Reddit feed is filled with motivational statistics, educational gifs, uplifting news, recipe gifs, etc. Now, when I take out my phone and scroll through Reddit, I'm gaining something for my time. I am no longer reading about tragedies on the other side of the world, or hate-filled rants, or the latest pop-culture scandal — more importantly, I’m not reading about these things multiple times per day.
The same can be said for my YouTube subscriptions. I no longer watch random trending videos, but educational videos, discussions on current events, music from around the world, and videos of people accomplishing amazing things. Again, all of that makes my life better, my understanding of the world more complete, and my mental health moaare stable.
I won't claim not to indulge in mindlessly entertaining content, but the point is I have to seek those out if I’m in the mood for it. The endless feed of content that's pushed from the gigantic pool that is the internet, is now tailored specifically to helping me to become the person that I want to be — a journey that will take a lifetime.
I would encourage you to try something similar. You're going to check your phone throughout the day, in all likelihood. Why not try to take that time back, and use social media and the Internet at large to learn to cook new dishes, inspire you to take-up an instrument, or anything else that interests you?
Since making these changes, I can now claim the following:
I know how to cook more dishes, and I’m getting better at it.
I’ve discovered more new bands/artists than ever before
I’m more optimistic about my future, as well as the general future of humanity
Motivation is easier to cultivate when I’m down
I’m more deliberate and conscious of the use of my time — in all aspects of my life
I have a lot more work to do, and I’m no monk. I don’t claim to be ultra-productive or free of distraction. Writing this piece is part of an effort to continually push myself to improve.
The Internet is a powerful thing. How are you using it?
