Pulling back from the algorithm

[GideonWilhelm]

I'm new around here, I'd found nostalgia and joy in the oldweb, but then I got sucked back into youtube, into the ragebait cycle, into social media and fights with strangers online... it took a lot out of me.  But I've nuked my facebook, and pulled away from youtube, and started exploring neocities and nekoweb when I get bored, rather than scrolling feeds for something to interest me.  It's been a few days, but thus far, it's really not as scary as I thought it'd be.  I'd even dare to call it refreshing.  I drove to and from work without music, too, and it's kind of amazing what you can notice about the sights and sounds of the world around you if you really tune yourself into your surroundings and think about what you're experiencing.  Anyway, I got blazed before bed and started thinking about life.  Thanks for reading my ramblings.  I love you.

[TheFrugalGamer]

Yeah, I think in our busy world, with everything competing for our attention, it's easy to forget that we should let our minds "rest" and wander for a little bit. I didn't get into doing that until recently, myself, though it was mostly related to trauma rather than social media addiction. I've discovered that I can watch the birds and insects in my garden for ages, wondering about what's going on in their heads.

One pair of birds (I imagine they're mates, but who knows) was hopping around in my yard, and one of them kept yelling at the other for some reason. No idea what they were trying to communicate, but it was amusing imagining a harried husband bird who can Do Nothing Right according to his bird wife.

One thing I try to do is redirect myself to read books (or blog posts) when I notice I'm going the "endless scroll" thing. There's been a marked change in my mood, and I've learned a lot as well. I've also noticed that it's easier to tear myself away with practice.

[HJ]

ne of them kept yelling at the other for some reason

You may have been seeing a parent bird and their baby. Lots of birds follow mom and dad around and continue to beg for food, even after they've left the nest.

I set app limits and even downloaded an app to lock up youtube after 1 hour. The only way to unlock it is a password that someone else knows. I've also been going to the library once or twice a week and getting reading done at night before bed. I completely stopped using any app that has the infinite scroll feature. Then, I turn off both wifi and mobile data so i can't use internet on my phone. It took me a long time to find what works for me. For a while it was the dumb phone... but I found that I needed some features that my smartphone has (unlocking door FOBs, navigation, sending pictures and links, ride-share, etc.)