phone addiction
so, as of late, i've been thinking of distancing myself from social media and corporatism. i must explain: so, i see people leaving discord, instagram, youtube, buying dumbphones, and generally decentralizing their media consumption. i started by using an alternative frontend to youtube on my phone, and hope to continue that momentum with changing browsers, distancing myself from my phone to watch tv, things like that.
one thing that's been in my recommended are people using flip phones or dumbphones either to replace or in conjunction with their smartphone. these videos are in my recommended, whether they coincide with the small web or on their own. it's interesting as an idea, to make yourself experience inconveniences for your own greater good, but at the same time, i'm not so sure i see myself doing that. my dumbphone at the moment is my original iphone se. it has no apps on it except for the essentials. it's not certain if i'll stick with that idea, let alone resort to a dumbphone at all, but it is a fascinating thought.
one thing i've noticed myself doing since i deleted my social medias—is flocking to youtube. since i get curious about content and such, i watch youtube. not through the youtube app, but an alternative way. nonetheless, i end up finding myself engaging in videos before i know it. i consume content about people who reduce their screentime and otherwise change their ways of living, while being stuck in the same old place. hypocritical of me? probably, but i guess it's better than scrolling on tiktok for 12 hours while consuming brainrot.
instead of watching on demand streaming services, only to get bored of the show and give up, i've been watching live tv as it happens. i get information as it happens while not consuming too much to the point of overload. in a sense, i've been better off. i don't really miss social media as much as i miss being happy and having fun. in tandem with other measures i've taken to ensure my wellbeing and curb my addiction to the internet, i've ultimately decided that it's worth the inconvenience. i'm happier more, i live in the moment more, and i appreciate the smaller things in life. from the scent of my room after a lit candle to the smiles on my family's faces to the small purrs of my cat when she decides that it's cuddling time.
this in combination with participating in the 32 bit cafe, (where the kindest people reside, i swear!) instead of watching toxic comment sections have overall improved my life. however, these are just the baby steps to living a better life, and these aren't the only ways i'll be doing so. i'm just taking it slow while also doing something at the same time. instead of only complaining about the current state of the internet, i'm trying to be the change in the world i want to see.
i've been going out of my way to use my phone less and less, whether it be through only using it for youtube or guiding myself into a better life.
one thing i've noticed is that the other measures i've been taking for my wellbeing—even before i decided to remove myself from social media—has brought me enough motivation to do so in the first place. it brought me enough motivation, joy, and life to actually get back into the things i enjoy.
honestly, i love what i'm doing at the moment and want to keep it going. i hope i can continue it in the long-term instead of falling back on old ways at every minor struggle. it will be a very long journey, one with roads, bumps, trials, and tribulations. however, i think it will be worth it in the end.
i can't wait to see it pay off.