My husband Randy gave me some advice the other day. It wasn’t easy to hear, especially since I knew every word was true. “You’ve got to stop this,” he said, “it’s not healthy.” Even though this is a common problem, it doesn’t make it any less embarrassing.
I’m a scroller.
By that, I mean I hold my phone close and can’t help checking out social media when I wake up, at lunch, in the afternoon, and basically on and off all day. I gravitate to every political, cultural, and entertainment site I can find. There’s so much to take in with this world and I love keeping up with everything. But is it good to be so addicted to breaking news?
In my defense, my feed is also full of adorable kittens and puppy videos. I love the ducks quacking on that cute farm in Canada. I adore the “before and after” decorating reels. I even like watching cooking videos, even though my culinary skills are limited.
But then I start watching those other videos—mostly political, intended to get me going. And usually, they succeed. Who said what? Now what’s happening? The algorithm knows us well.
I’ve even started taking my cell phone to the dinner table. Something I would never let my kids do, I’m doing. That’s how bad this addiction has become.
So, when Randy called me over the other day, I could tell by his face that I’d done something wrong. “It’s not that you’re on your devices too much. It’s that your feed is filling you with angst, Laurie,” he said, his face serious. “You’ve go to stop.”
I felt like a teenager when my father told me to stop putting on make-up while driving his car. All I could do was shrug meekly. “I know.”
The other day, I consulted Google about how to stop this habit (yes, I see the irony of asking the internet how to quit the internet).
However, there were some interesting tips:
Get rid of any subscriptions in your mailbox that make you crazy. I realized many of the Substack emails I receive are the gateway drug to constant scrolling. I’ll start reading one (or several) and I’m off and running. From there, I’ll go to other sites since I’m now “in the zone” and on and on. I’ve eliminated all those subscriptions.
Read instead. No problem. I love to read, but I can see how this bad habit has cut into my beloved book time. Now instead of reaching for my I-pad in late afternoon, I reach for my latest novel. There’s something soothing about being transported to 18th century England or China in the 1920’s. It’s also interesting to note how every time in history has had it challenges and somehow life went on.
No devices after dinner. This has helped a lot. Before, I was doing the “just a few more minutes” excuse while scrolling after 7:00 p.m. Before I knew it, another two hours had gone by. All this information overload doesn’t make for a restful sleep. Now after dinner, when I go reach for that I-Pad, I stop. The world can turn without my help until morning.
Dare I say? I feel calmer.
Like any addiction, a slow approach works best. I can’t go cold turkey, which will only make me crave social media more. Instead, I’ve cut back and that has helped, even though that I-Pad or cell phone still beckons.
I’m happier for cutting down on this habit, and God knows, so is Randy.
Are you a social media addict? Comments are always welcome, and if you’d like to receive posts in your email, Thank you!
