Before we dig deeper into this, here’s a fine meme to give you a laugh. You’ll understand below why I’m posting memes.
“Nothing Is Worth More Than This Day.”
— Goethe
Social media companies are like tobacco companies, except nicotine might be healthier.
If I were dramatic, I would say social media is making you miserable, agitated, and dumb.
As someone who goes days without touching his phone (there’s no such thing as a notification in my life), I notice when I meet people who pick up theirs every 45 seconds to check some irrelevant piece of information.
I also know that there’s nothing meaningful to check. They’re just using that dopamine dispensary as a coping mechanism to lower their anxiety.
Be honest. We’ve all done it. I’ve certainly done it too.
It’s a pity.
Anxiety is not necessarily a bad thing.
On the other hand, constantly seeking pleasure is deciding to live a life of internal despair.
I don’t think we are meant to be constantly entertained every time we face the slightest inconvenience.
I don’t know if you know, but I don’t use social media at all. By using, I mean “consuming” content and “being” the one actually managing and interacting with that focus-destroying abomination.
I do have an inconspicuous social media presence, yet it’s not me there. Sometimes, I wish more people were straightforward about this.
Anyway, I’m not here to talk to you about my life. I’m here to share my thoughts on your social media (hopefully mild) addiction.
First, let’s be honest, as a business owner, I have no interest in people not being on social media as I advertise there–a lot. Yet, as someone who’s here to help you on your path to a faster mind and stronger body: social media is not helping you.
Social media companies spend billions to keep you hooked. You have no chance to resist. This is not a fair fight. Every time you open those apps, you’re working for their business model, not yours.
Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Google & Co work precisely the same way as the 900 phone lines used to work back in the day.
If you remember, or if you’re too young to know, those were paid phone lines where the service providers would do anything they could to keep the customer on the line for as long as possible.
They would tell you stories slower than molasses pouring uphill to keep you hooked. After all, they were paid by the second spent by the caller on the line.
Does This Sound Like Anything You Know?
“Those who do not weep, do not see.”
— Victor Hugo
Not too long from now, we’ll see social media companies as the dopamine dealers they really are, like casinos or tobacco companies. Have you ever noticed that there are no clocks or windows in casinos? The people stealing your money don’t want you to keep track of time… nor do the people stealing your time.
How do you fight back?
How do you ruthlessly defend your most valuable asset?
Time is not your most valuable asset. Time is extremely valuable, don’t get me wrong. But how much focus you apply to that time is the real asset. Therefore, your most valuable possession is your focus.
How Do You Not Give It Away for Free to Social Media Companies?
“Energy and persistence conquer all things.”
— Benjamin Franklin
There are so many ways.
One would be to have your phone in black and white color schemes instead of colorful and interesting. Having your cellphone be all gray and dull really makes the life outside your phone look so bright and beautiful.
Another idea is not to have any social media apps on your phone. You can use desktop versions. They’re less exciting, and that’s a significant plus. You can use, for example, chrome extensions to block the feeds.
For example, I use Unhook to block the YouTube feed. I also use Facebook’s Business Suite if I need to review someone’s work on social media. It’s a dull, production-oriented interface that doesn’t suck you in. If I didn’t have the Business Suite, I wouldn’t be using anything to block the feeds. I simply wouldn’t be there. If you must, you can use something like Antigram to block the feed from Instagram.
There are many more tools.
The most effective way would probably be to have an assistant manage your social media presence if needed.
If you think paying an assistant to manage your social media is not worth the $15 or $20 an hour they cost (you can find virtual assistants for much lower than that, too), then you and I agree. But, if it’s not worth your assistant’s time, it’s definitely not worth your time.
What I know is that the world gives you what you assert onto it, not by looking at yourself in your mirror and doing your affirmations but by behavior. If you declare to the world that your time is worthless, then it will treat you as such. You don’t need me to tell you what that means.