3 ms·

I spent a few months reducing the effect of addictive technology: https://nicolasbouliane.com/blog/silence https://nicolasbouliane.com/blog/silence . Fewer trig

by nicbou 4y ago

I spent a few months reducing the effect of addictive technology: https://nicolasbouliane.com/blog/silence https://nicolasbouliane.com/blog/silence . Fewer triggers make such an addiction more manageable. It works, but only as long as I can fill the void with meaningful activities. There are days when I have nothing to do, or I am too tired to do anything. People who quit weed reported the same problem. If you use a quick fix for boredom for a long time, replacing it means finding other ways to deal with boredom.

Aromasin 4y ago
Your journey in that article is very similar to the route I took. I quit video games, TV, and social media together at the beginning of 2021. I blocked Reddit, and also installed Unhook for YouTube so I see nothing but my subscriptions now. I probably relapsed around 100+ times in the subsequent years before I got a handle on it, and it all stemmed not from an addictive "urge" - like that for food or cigarettes' - but simply from being bored. I agree, it's impossible to replace something without filling the hole it left in your life. I needed to have something I could do when I had evenings free or a weekend to kill. For me, I filled it with sports/working-out, miniature painting, writing fiction, and making (speakers, dioramas, gadgets, and other fun things I find on Hackster.io). My life is so much more fulfilling now. I've shifted from one of sedative consumptive to active creation. I can't recommend it enough.
- nicbou 4y ago
  That matches my experience. I am far less involved in internet drama, my computer feels more like a tool, I read more books, and I spend more time on my bicycle. The main takeaway is that the benefits outlasted the initial surge of motivation. These changes had a lasting impact on my quality of life.

3 ms·

I spent a few months reducing the effect of addictive technology: https://nicolasbouliane.com/blog/silence https://nicolasbouliane.com/blog/silence . Fewer trig

by nicbou 4y ago

Aromasin 4y ago
Your journey in that article is very similar to the route I took. I quit video games, TV, and social media together at the beginning of 2021. I blocked Reddit, and also installed Unhook for YouTube so I see nothing but my subscriptions now. I probably relapsed around 100+ times in the subsequent years before I got a handle on it, and it all stemmed not from an addictive "urge" - like that for food or cigarettes' - but simply from being bored. I agree, it's impossible to replace something without filling the hole it left in your life. I needed to have something I could do when I had evenings free or a weekend to kill. For me, I filled it with sports/working-out, miniature painting, writing fiction, and making (speakers, dioramas, gadgets, and other fun things I find on Hackster.io). My life is so much more fulfilling now. I've shifted from one of sedative consumptive to active creation. I can't recommend it enough.
- nicbou 4y ago
  That matches my experience. I am far less involved in internet drama, my computer feels more like a tool, I read more books, and I spend more time on my bicycle. The main takeaway is that the benefits outlasted the initial surge of motivation. These changes had a lasting impact on my quality of life.