I think I’ve figured out a way out of my digital addictions.

Instagram, Facebook and Hackernews are what I’m usually addicted to1. I’ve tried several techniques to curb my usage, but they almost always spiraled back to full addiction. Until now.

The technique2

  1. Mute all stories, notes, and posts of the people I’m following. Indefinitely.
  2. I may not post anything on these sites.
  3. Subscribe to the Hacker Newsletter email and only visit posts from the newsletter that pique my interest.
  4. Remove Facebook and Instagram from my phone. I may install them only once daily and for a maximum of 30 minutes. Move any ongoing conversations to Whatsapp or email.

A couple of months after implementing these rules I barely interact with these sites. Now, time started to feel thicker and slower. I yearn to spend time with friends in non-virtual settings. I write more often about how I’m spending my time. Most importantly, I now do things for my own pleasure.

I didn’t realize how posting on social apps skewed my behavior towards doing things in order to impress others. Like taking a picture when what I really wanted to do was just be there.

  1. I don’t want to delete my accounts because Facebook is great for expat and activity groups. Instagram is like a messaging app in my social circles. And hackernews is a way for my brain to procrastinate, but also introduces me to interesting people and useful projects. ↩

  2. The first two are key. Now, whenever I visit these sites, there’s nothing but ads. I hate ads. ↩