Ways to waste less time on the web
I’ve exercised almost every day for several years now. I don’t mean going to the gym: I’ve been training my mind to seek out content that keeps me in a semi-paralyzed procrastinating state. I’ll stay up watching YouTube, scrolling Reddit, Facebook, browsing news and go back to YouTube. It’s not entertainment, it’s a trap. This nightly screen time perpetuates a vicious cycle. The next day you’re tired again and all you want to do is scroll. I miss out on full alertness and the time to work on a passion project, connect with others or learn more. Wasting hours on one’s online vice of choice has sadly become a fact of modern life for many. This problem represents the cumulative loss of billions of hours of time that leave people unfulfilled. I’m still working to break this addiction, but here are some tips I hope can help:
Download the free Android app QualityTime or iPhone app Moment
I use it to set all fun apps to turn off after 11pm during weeknights and 1am for weekends. So far it’s worked really well and I’m often thankful when I get redirected to the app (This is how it blocks you using apps). They have a brilliant monetization scheme of forcing you to watch an ad after a set amount of time if you want to use your banned apps. There are usage statistics for each of your apps and you can see trends overtime. There’s a pro version but I’ve not tried it. This app does drain your battery at times though.
Once the next version of Android comes out, all of this functionality will be included natively in the OS. This represents a very important change that will help Mobile Phone Overuse syndrome.
If you have an iPhone it may be worth switching just for this app, but one alternative is the app called Moment. It shows you basic statistics about how much you use your phone per day. That may provide motivation enough, but they also have pro features I’ve not used such as programs and would be curious to hear if anyone has used them
iOS 12 will include similar features and the ability to limit time on apps.
You’ll need enough mental will power to not delete the app. There may be some side effects of a dependency as well. When I went on vacation in another time zone the app didn’t work properly so I turned it off and reverted back to using YouTube and Reddit for several hours per day. Hopefully though with enough usage, my brain can be trained to not need these adult parental controls.
Use the StayFocusd chrome plugin
There are two ways I use this app on my laptop.
- Settings specific windows of time to not be distracted. For example, for the next hour I’ll block a list of websites. It’s amazing how much after completing a small chunk of work I will find myself instinctively opening the browser and typing f or r. Using a limited amount of time helps me, because I can reward myself with mindless browsing after finishing. It also made me actually use the feature instead of just getting frustrating by blocking websites permanently and deleting the plugin.
- I’ve set a daily timer of total time per day of Facebook, Reddit, YouTube, news usage. If I’ve used more than that then it’s nice to get some extra motivation to do something else with my time.
Read a physical book before bed
This has proved a great substitute for my futile efforts to scroll till the end of time. It’s far more rewarding to get lost in a novel or deeply absorb some nonfiction text. Having a physical book helps improve sleep by not exposing you to blue light right before bed. There’s additional motivation because each book costs money (assuming you’re like me and too lazy to make the trips to the library). Now my problem is that if the book is too good then I’ll stay up reading that…
Read the book Mind Hacking
While the book is super corny and seems written with a nerdy male audience in mind, if you look past those shortcomings, it offers simple yet powerful advice to build up mental fortitude to make the changes you want. Part of the book comes from Ray Dalio’s Principles which suggests imagining yourself as both a machine and the designer behind the machine. This framework empowers you to proactively and methodically work towards your personal and professional goals.
Track your progress
One action I took after reading Mind Hacking was I created a google doc to hold me accountable for improvement in these habits and others. We formalize most other important aspects of our lives and work, so why not take the same approach to utilizing many hours per week better? You can view my sheet here. As you can see, I’m nowhere close to perfect and don’t have a linear improvement trajectory but at least it’s a start. Link
Understand the tactics developers use to engage you
This article efficiently describes the various methods developers use to gain your attention and train your brain to ensure engagement. Our internet addiction is partly by design and it helps to notice these time monopolizing tactics so you can better resist them.
Use the mobile web versions of Facebook and Reddit
Personally I think Facebook is super useful for keeping in touch with people so I haven’t deactivated completely. Getting rid of the mobile app raises the activation energy for use because the mobile web app sucks. I’m still guilty of going on reddit way too much I so haven’t figured out what to do there but the web only version has reduced usage slightly.
Go where there’s no Wi-Fi or turn it off
Some of my most productive hours have been in areas where wifi is absent. If you actively seek out these places you’ll gain motivation from seeing how productive you’ve been. Turning off Wi-Fi can help to a lesser extent by making it slightly harder to open the browser and instinctively type f for Facebook.
Leave your phone in the locker
If you’re at the gym, it’s incredibly refreshing to leave your phone in your car or locker. You’re ensuring your entire time there is dedicated to yourself free from of any distractions in the outside world. You’ll find yourself reflecting more, often solving problems in your head and get a better work out too.
Get the Light Phone (Version 2 coming)
While I’ve not tried this, and I think has too limited of a feature set, if you’re looking to significantly reduce your screen time, there’s Light Phone which will allow only simple use functions such as calls. Text and navigation will come in the second version. See the kickstarter link above for version 2.
What didn’t work: Giving someone $100 if I stayed up too late online
Just lost $100
I hope this list helps. Please let me know what works for you so I can improve the post.
