The internet is addictive. Last week, I wanted to check the submission deadline for a literary magazine I wanted to submit to and ended up doom scrolling Instagram for like a whole forty-five minutes. The best part? I didn’t even end up checking the deadline date. [I just checked it before I writing this post, lol it’s all good, I’ve got time to submit]. The point being, as the years pass, it seems I’ve got no control in all this Internet and social media usage. It feels like I’m being taken along for a ride I didn’t even sign up for in the first place. That too without my knowledge; it’s only at the end of my doom-scrolling spree that I roll my eyes, facepalm and ask myself “what am I eve doing?!”
So I decided to break the patterns that cause most harm. I decided to come up with a few ways, 3 ways, to be precise, to USE the Internet and stop it FROM USING ME. Here’s what I found.
1. View only Long Format Content:
A lot of self-help and productivity gurus, the likes of Tim Ferriss, Andrew Huberman, and Ali Abdaal, speak about this thing called “Dopamine Spikes.” Again, I’m not an expert, but let me paraphrase and make it easier: Dopamine Spikes occur when something pleasurable occurs like sex, rewards, sugar, cigarettes, and some drugs. Dopamine is the pleasure hormone. As humans, we’re programmed, wired, conditioned [however you want to put it] to seek Dopamine.
The sad bit is that apps like YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook essentially hack this feature. When you’re on one of these apps, every post is designed to cause you a spike in Dopamine. Reels and Shorts are the biggest culprit. Now, if like me you find yourself scrolling through these apps forever, [don’t blame yourself, that’s what the apps are designed to do] over time your brain acclimatizes to these rapid spikes in Dopamine, leaving you expecting it all the time! That’s sadly not how the world works, it’s not full of pleasure, well it is, but not like my doom-scrolling mind wants it.
It’s not all bad. Here’s one way to fix it: Watch Long Form Content or Content That Takes Time and Effort. Instead of sticking to reels or shorts on Instagram and YouTube, watch a Netflix show or a whole podcast or interview. Instead of scrolling Twitter, use Reddit or Substack, or read articles on whatever interests you. Instead of scrolling the cards page on Google, actually spend time reading long articles.
I’ve found this to be tremendously helpful. You still get entertained, but without rotting your brain or getting addicted. In addition to that, when you interact only with long-form content, your knowledge, experience, and fun isn’t half-baked, dopamine-spiking, brain-rotting fun.
2. Contribute to Things You Care About:
This is sort of a continuation of the last point. Another feature of doom-scrolling is that you’re only passively engaged. Even to state that you like a person is two taps away! Ah, such bliss—no efforts, just judgement. What does this teach your mind to do? You become a passive observer in the world, allowing the world to take you where it does, where you’re too scared or lazy to put in any effort at all. Trust me, I’ve been there!
All of us care about something. For me, and I suppose for a lot of us on Substack, it’s writing. I’m embarrassed to confess that for a while, almost three months actually, my learning more about writing and improving my skill was confined to tuning my Instagram reels algorithm to send me reels from famous authors: Kurt Vonnegut teaching story arcs, best practices of famous writers, what Hemingway drank, etc.
Instead, contribute in meaningful ways to the things, issues, problems, and places you really care about. Not on the comment section! Actually write an email to the person who’s Substack stood out to you. Volunteer to help out an opensource site you’re interested in. Throw in something small like a better logo, if you can design, or write them better SEO focused copy on their website. ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTE! This can make your Internet life far more meaningful, leading to real life changes, relationships, communities, or projects.
In fact, a lot of innovative projects began with two people interacting seriously over the internet.
3. Use the Internet ONLY for IRL Engagements:
This is prolly the most powerful tip of all the three, but it’s also the most radical, so lol I won’t hold against you if you don’t follow it. But, trust me, it works. Make a rule for yourself, I tried it for a month and it not only showed me all the ways in which I’ve neglected the most important parts of my life but it also made me super cool in real life, having a thriving social life, actually contributing, and building a portfolio with a community of superb writers.
The rule is this: DON’T USE THE INTERNET FOR ANYTHING EXCEPT TO MAKE REAL-LIFE ENGAGEMENTS, RELATIONSHIPS, OR PROJECTS.
This rule brings about a very radical shift in approach and perspective. The Internet has become a world of its own. We’re a different person on it, lying about ourselves, scared to confront the real problems, issues, and relationships that are on the brink of falling apart. The Internet cajoles us, it nurtures a docile, passive, and on-looker mentality TO YOUR OWN LIFE. To me, this is the saddest part. We move about our lives without any agency. We’re digital-addicts.
Now, the rule above, as radical as it sounds, can be used to ground the internet in real life. Half the time, we don’t know why we’re on the Internet. We’re just sort of… there… This rule tells you exactly why you’re on the internet, it might be to set up a coffee date, or business meeting, or to find out more on how to train your dog. Whatever, but it situates your usage of your internet.
Final thoughts: These three approaches and ways have radically changed my life over the past couple of weeks that I’ve used this. Don’t beat yourself up if you find yourself breaking any of these rules, just start over.
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