73 - Minimizing digital things
Engaging with optional technology from a place of consciousness
I first joined Twitter in March 2009. I was an active anonymous blogger at the time and I’d seen other blogger friends talking about this new social network where you could send messages to celebrities and they could respond directly to you. I was a rather bored and lonely student then, far from home in a foreign country and Twitter gave me the community I didn’t have. Subsequently, I found myself spending more and more time on Twitter. I had all the Twitter apps, from UberSocial to Tweetdeck and I didn’t miss a single tweet.
I enjoyed the feeling of connection I got from tweeting hashtags like #LightupNigeria and live tweeting events with my internet friends. Through Twitter, I was also fortunate enough to form some incredible friendships which have lasted to date. It was so much fun until I started to have dreams about strangers who I only knew by an internet moniker. I would wake up and recall the most random dreams that involved people I barely knew and had never met. That was when I first realised the impact that my Twitter consumption was having on my subconscious mind.
I would like to say that since then I have given up Twitter, but that would be a lie. Over the years I have intermittently taken time off the site and cut back significantly but I’m still fairly active. The past few days on Twitter have been interesting with the announcement of rate limits by the new Twitter boss. I’ve watched everybody (myself included) complain about the new changes and threaten to leave, while still tweeting on the same site, and it occurred to me that way too many of us are firmly in the grip of an addiction.
Addiction is defined as a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive **** seeking and use despite adverse consequences. It is considered a brain disorder, because it involves functional changes to brain circuits involved in reward, stress, and self-control.
It is no surprise that we are addicted to social media apps because they are very cleverly designed to do just that. We have come a long way from the days of Hi5 and MySpace and as the world continues to advance technologically, we are only going to see more of these cleverly designed distractions, which is why I think it is important for everyone to evaluate their relationship with not just social media but optional technology in its entirety.
Early studies have already started to show a correlation between addiction to smartphone usage and depression, social anxiety and loneliness.
As part of my efforts to bring more consciousness to my relationship with new technology, I started listening to the audiobook on my phone reading Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport. The goal of digital minimalism is to “take back control from your devices and find calm amongst the chaos”.
In the book, the author outlined 3 actionable steps towards achieving this which I shall attempt to summarise.
Start with your values and define your rules with them in mind. It is often said that how we spend our time is a reflection of the things that are important to us. New technology is rife with tools that can help us optimize for the things we consider important. For example, if creating strong connections is important to you, you might realise that spending time on your phone while in the company of others doesn’t align with this and so you might make a rule to put away your phone when you have company. If getting good sleep is your goal, then making a rule to keep your phone out of the bedroom would be in alignment with your goal. Leaving your phone outside your bedroom because Chioma said so is less likely to be successful in the long term. The chances of sustaining a new habit are higher when you’re able to identify with your new habit.
Do a digital decluttering. This involves abstaining from all non-essential technology for a defined period, not as a detox, but as an opportunity to evaluate and reflect on the cost vs benefit of the technology you have been consuming. This includes everything from Netflix to Twitter and everything in between. You might find that you have more clarity of thought when you’re not constantly consuming the thoughts, ideas and opinions of strangers. It is also helpful to plan substitute activities when going through the decluttering process as this might reduce your chances of relapse. Introducing a new reward is key to breaking a habit loop. For example, I now carry my crocheting with me whenever I am commuting as an alternative to doom scrolling.
Consciously reintroduce technology. After a period of abstaining, the author advises gradually reintroducing optional technology while applying certain metrics. Optional technology should:
-Serve something you deeply value (offering some benefit is not enough).
-Be the best way to use technology to serve this value (if it’s not, replace it with something better).
-Have a role in your life that is constrained with a standard operating procedure that specifies when and how you use it.
This one I admit is a bit too strict for me. I don’t know that there’s anything I deeply value that is served by being on Instagram, and nothing will change if I don’t post a selfie in the elevator on my way out, but I have no intention of deleting my Instagram accounts. I can however choose to limit how much time I spend on the app by deleting the icon from my home screen or setting a time limit for the app.
I realise that this might sound/read alarmist in nature, but the effects of our smartphone addiction are all around us. From our diminishing attention spans to the dying art of conversation to the rise in mental health conditions, so maybe we should all be alarmed.
This week I am reading
The Vagina Bible: The vulva and the vagina - separating the myth from the medicine by Dr Jennifer Gunter. This was recommended by Halima of the Spit or Swallow podcast and I'm only a few chapters in and enjoying it. Female genital anatomy can appear somewhat complex but this book breaks things down using simple language and I’m looking forward to reading more about some of the myths and medicine about our female parts.
This week I listened to
Episode #149 of The Knowledge Project. In this episode, Shane talks to author Neil Pasricha about many things, from habits that help reduce anxiety to building resilience and the importance of gratitude. I liked hearing Neil share some of his habits such as the two-minute morning rule and monthly dashboard. I also liked that he mentioned his partner several times throughout the episode and shared some of the habits and frameworks that have helped them create a partnership that works for them. Another great episode with actionable takeaways.
I have toyed with the idea of starting a podcast for a while but never quite got around to it. Thankfully, my internet friends turned real-life sisters, recently decided to extend our group chat conversations into a podcast so now I get to be part of one without doing most of the heavy lifting.
Our podcast is called It’s about to get loud and we’ll mostly be talking about our lives as Nigerian women in our thirties and the attendant issues. You can listen on Spotify and Apple podcasts. The first episode is live and I would love to hear your feedback.
July already! We are officially halfway through the year and it feels like time has flown past but in reality, quite a bit has happened in the past 6 months. I am grateful for the year so far. All things considered, things are ticking along quite nicely. I’m still praying for surprise funds so I can plan my birthday but otherwise, life is good.
I hope H1 was good to you and H2 is even better. Here’s wishing you a week of scrolling less and touching grass more.
Chioma.
Took a break for 1 month from instagram and it was so refreshing, highly highly recommend. Doing it again soon