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I'm not sure how best to put this, but I'm not so sure detaching is the answer here, at least not long term. I can detach pretty easily and start daydreaming ev

I'm not sure how best to put this, but I'm not so sure detaching is the answer here, at least not long term. I can detach pretty easily and start daydreaming even while I'm on social media. If what I'm looking at isn't interesting enough, I start skimming. While I'm skimming my attention is divided between trying to find stimulation and whatever thing that's got my larger attention, usually some personal thing. I might bounce back and forth between these things many times while I'm social media'ing. Work is the same thing. My mind switches between active problem solving, and detachment, while my subconscious is working out a solution. Work usually isn't maximally-stimulating, so I'm always dividing my attention there too. For something to commandeer my full attention, it has to bear down heavily on my 'main life loop'. Social media often manages to do this, with some really smart person's Quora post incisively dissecting a topic I'm intensely interested in. My mind 'forages' through social media looking for stimulation. No distraction can literally steal ALL my attention, I always have some left over. I've altered all my computing environments to avoid any kind of unwanted animation. Animations on computer screens do manage to snatch me out of my current mental loop. If social media did this, then it wouldn't be useful for me and I wouldn't bother with it.

beat 8y ago
Speaking of computing environments... the minimalist nature of HN is one reason I allow myself to keep using it, even while shutting FB/Twitter/etc out. I'm seriously thinking of switching my computing over to an iPad, to get rid of all the bits of stuff on the periphery of my computing. One app at a time.
nzjrs 8y ago
I feel like yours is the best description of the delusion of control many of us lived in, until we didn't. I mean this honestly that unless you can detach in the ways people describe here, it will get worse. Personally, I've noticed that my depth of thinking has improved since making time for contemplation. I was nervous initially about not having read everything - I was surprised and proud how people said "have you seen xyz" and I had. I'm not that person any more, but my skills as an engineer to solve complex problems has improved.

beat 8y ago

Speaking of computing environments... the minimalist nature of HN is one reason I allow myself to keep using it, even while shutting FB/Twitter/etc out. I'm seriously thinking of switching my computing over to an iPad, to get rid of all the bits of stuff on the periphery of my computing. One app at a time.

nzjrs 8y ago

I feel like yours is the best description of the delusion of control many of us lived in, until we didn't. I mean this honestly that unless you can detach in the ways people describe here, it will get worse. Personally, I've noticed that my depth of thinking has improved since making time for contemplation. I was nervous initially about not having read everything - I was surprised and proud how people said "have you seen xyz" and I had. I'm not that person any more, but my skills as an engineer to solve complex problems has improved.