Even arXiv is social media.
I have 45 minutes set for using HN and everythinh that comes out of it.
YouTube and TikTok have algorithms that have the goal to grab my attention. The garden/road outside my home does not have an algorithm. It is safe to look that way.
Outside of the focus hours, I stay away from social media, but I do read books, play Factorio, discover new music, watch documentaries, and rarely movies/series. So there is nothing wrong with media consumption.
But social media makes our brain secrete stuff and that gives our brain a false sense of achievement.
That false sense of achievement, too much scrolling, getting distracted, and the anticipation of the unknown fun for long times- these are what I fear.
Does social media rewire our brain in some way? (Take the word "rewire" lightly, not technically)
I was never known to be weak-minded person. I never had any kind of addiction although I drink alcohol and never had an eating disorder although I love to eat and so on.
So, nothing is wrong with me. Maybe the problem does lie with them?
Social media addiction made me feel weak. I hate that.
I only started doing this after I read Cal Newport's Deep Work [0].
I don't pull up my phone even when waiting for a friend or commutibg in subway.
I do not know why, but this has been extremely effective for my peace of mind and productivity while working.
I aim for 1/2 hours of deep focus (like learning new math for the first time), and 3/4 hours of moderate focus (working on a challenging problem).
How do you separate staring out the window with staring at tiktok, youtube.
What’s wrong with media consumption outside the 4-5 hrs of focus ?
Not that I am disagreeing with you. I aim for 1-2 hrs of deep focus. I have recently tried to do more, but I don’t think I can. Maybe 3-4 hrs of moderate focus, and maybe total of 8 hrs of minimal focus (including about deep and moderate focus).