4 ms·

Speak for yourself, man, cause it can get bad. During the work week I can sometimes go from unconsciousness to TikTok to podcasts to web development to Zoom to

Speak for yourself, man, cause it can get bad. During the work week I can sometimes go from unconsciousness to TikTok to podcasts to web development to Zoom to Twitter to Spotify to YouTube and back to TikTok and then to sleep without any real breaks in between. One can get into this habit of exhausted yet nervous information seeking -- "doing without doing". I think three days off might be just what I need.

waynesonfire 5y ago
> to TikTok That's your problem. I once logged into tiktok and found myself clicking next for four hours without blinking. Never again have I logged into this addictive platform. It's engineering to keep eyes on screen, scary.
mgkimsal 5y ago
There's some distinction between 'using the internet' and 'social media' (which is a somewhat nebulous term, possibly). Could I go 3 days without 'social media' or 'socializing online'? Yeah - it might be a bit tough as it's definitely a habit, but... it's not 'vital'. I went to the beach last year and ... just sat and read a book. Got a phone call from my wife, which ... perhaps that's 'social media' in some sense? But I had a bit of time away from the standard online social places (including HN) and it was definitely doable. Three days without 'internet access'... including driving navigation, banking, access to my health information, etc? That would be harder. Doable, but would definitely be a lot more noticeable. Would ideally plan for it a bit in advance :)
adamsmith143 5y ago
mmmpop 5y ago
Okay then what's stopping you from deleting TikTok and quitting Twitter? Sounds like a hell you've created for yourself.
- quest88 5y ago
  My opinionated guess is many people are afraid of being alone with their thoughts.
  - waynesonfire 5y ago
    Or, maybe these platforms have A/B tested dopamine hits for its users? Nothing to do with being alone just engineered technology tapping into our normal brain function.
  - ASalazarMX 5y ago
    Dave, your behavior indicates a possible existential crisis in the next hours. How about watching people making food in the most ridiculous way on TikTok? To be fair, being alone with your thoughts can be scary. That's why even before the Internet we read cereal boxes during breakfast, or shampoo bottles in the toilet.
  - mmmpop 5y ago
    I bet you could find some science to back up that opinion because I deeply suspect that's by-design.
- Jerrrry 5y ago
  Put down the Heroin, John.
cindarin 5y ago
I am speaking for myself. My concern is that when I read these articles, the authors often seem to be speaking for more than themselves. It seems as though they are projecting an unhealthy addiction on all members of society. I see that as likely incorrect and potentially harmful. I'm not certain what's unhealthy about what you listed other than the self-imposed exhaustion. Humans have been exhausting themselves unhealthily long before the internet came about. If you feel you're doing so, by all means, find the way to give yourself the rest you need.
- rootusrootus 5y ago
  > It seems as though they are projecting an unhealthy addiction on all members of society. I see that as likely incorrect and potentially harmful. There are always some folks who show up in these threads who seem to have perfect control. Or maybe a well developed ability to delude themselves, I have no idea. But out in the real world, my observation is that probably better than 90% of random citizens are addicted to their phones and spend damn near every waking minute on them if there isn't something else to entertain them.
  - quest88 5y ago
    "But out in the real world" - What a dismissive thing to say. The commenter is in the real world. There are multiple types of people in the real world who deal with things differently. Why would you say that?
    - rootusrootus 5y ago
      The only attitude here is yours. "The real world" means "not on HN", in other words out in public. > Why would you say that? Because it's true. Go out in public and tell me what fraction of people are buried in their phone. To a rough approximation, all of them.
  - cindarin 5y ago
    I know I personally don't have anything near perfect control.

waynesonfire 5y ago

> to TikTok That's your problem. I once logged into tiktok and found myself clicking next for four hours without blinking. Never again have I logged into this addictive platform. It's engineering to keep eyes on screen, scary.

mgkimsal 5y ago

There's some distinction between 'using the internet' and 'social media' (which is a somewhat nebulous term, possibly). Could I go 3 days without 'social media' or 'socializing online'? Yeah - it might be a bit tough as it's definitely a habit, but... it's not 'vital'. I went to the beach last year and ... just sat and read a book. Got a phone call from my wife, which ... perhaps that's 'social media' in some sense? But I had a bit of time away from the standard online social places (including HN) and it was definitely doable. Three days without 'internet access'... including driving navigation, banking, access to my health information, etc? That would be harder. Doable, but would definitely be a lot more noticeable. Would ideally plan for it a bit in advance :)

adamsmith143 5y ago

mmmpop 5y ago

Okay then what's stopping you from deleting TikTok and quitting Twitter? Sounds like a hell you've created for yourself.

quest88 5y ago
My opinionated guess is many people are afraid of being alone with their thoughts.
- waynesonfire 5y ago
  Or, maybe these platforms have A/B tested dopamine hits for its users? Nothing to do with being alone just engineered technology tapping into our normal brain function.
- ASalazarMX 5y ago
  Dave, your behavior indicates a possible existential crisis in the next hours. How about watching people making food in the most ridiculous way on TikTok? To be fair, being alone with your thoughts can be scary. That's why even before the Internet we read cereal boxes during breakfast, or shampoo bottles in the toilet.
- mmmpop 5y ago
  I bet you could find some science to back up that opinion because I deeply suspect that's by-design.
Jerrrry 5y ago
Put down the Heroin, John.

cindarin 5y ago

I am speaking for myself. My concern is that when I read these articles, the authors often seem to be speaking for more than themselves. It seems as though they are projecting an unhealthy addiction on all members of society. I see that as likely incorrect and potentially harmful. I'm not certain what's unhealthy about what you listed other than the self-imposed exhaustion. Humans have been exhausting themselves unhealthily long before the internet came about. If you feel you're doing so, by all means, find the way to give yourself the rest you need.

rootusrootus 5y ago
> It seems as though they are projecting an unhealthy addiction on all members of society. I see that as likely incorrect and potentially harmful. There are always some folks who show up in these threads who seem to have perfect control. Or maybe a well developed ability to delude themselves, I have no idea. But out in the real world, my observation is that probably better than 90% of random citizens are addicted to their phones and spend damn near every waking minute on them if there isn't something else to entertain them.
- quest88 5y ago
  "But out in the real world" - What a dismissive thing to say. The commenter is in the real world. There are multiple types of people in the real world who deal with things differently. Why would you say that?
  - rootusrootus 5y ago
    The only attitude here is yours. "The real world" means "not on HN", in other words out in public. > Why would you say that? Because it's true. Go out in public and tell me what fraction of people are buried in their phone. To a rough approximation, all of them.
- cindarin 5y ago
  I know I personally don't have anything near perfect control.