Doc Spo commented the other day, on Facebook, at how useless Facebook has become for seeing what family and friends are doing. Facebook has devolved into reposts of memes and advertising. I read recently that the shine is off of "social media" that less and less real content is being posted. And yet many are addicted, and spend hours doom scrolling through hours of influencers and advertising.
Free your mind. Delete Facebook off of your phone.
I am not saying give it up, it is still on my bookmarks bar on my computer, but it is not my constant companion in my pocket, begging to fill my mind with clutter in every spare moment. Four years ago, I bought a new phone. When the guy in the phone store went to transfer the content from my old phone to my new phone, there was not enough memory space to download the app to do so. He asked if he could delete Facebook and Instagram, assuring me that when I installed them on my new phone all of my content would come back. I said fine, then I never installed those on that phone, or on the new phone that replaced it this past spring. When I have a spare moment, my mind is not cluttered by the constant stream of FB or Insta. I also deleted the "games" off of my phone, another time suck begging for my attention.
The algorithm of social media is tweaked based on input from psychologists to draw you in, fill your brain, make you want more, to addict you. The profit in social media is driven by keeping you staring at the screen. And while we stare at the screen the world around us fades into darkness.
Look up, look around.
I walk 6-10 hours a week, every week. When the weather is so that I can, I walk outside, or inside - yes I have become one of those old guys who walks laps in the shopping mall on a cold or rainy day. I don't listen to my phone, I listen to what is around me. The birds in the trees, the rustle of the leaves, the flow of the water, the buzz of the bees, the conversations around me. And even more important for creativity I listen to my internal dialog. Left to its own, my brain gets creative to fill the void. If I fill my brain with input other peoples voices, my brain is busy processing that input, if I walk in silence, my brain creates content to fill that void. But that only happens if I allow my brain time without content to process.
Delete Facebook, leave your earbuds at home. Free you mind to be creative.
Very sensible, and healthy, advice.
ReplyDeleteThank you, many people really need to hear this message.
DeleteDoom scrolling is perfectly named. I do love your two portraits today. They capture you both so well.
ReplyDeleteReflects our personalities. I curating a show next year on portraits and self portraits.
DeleteI love memes, but your right and Spo. Sometimes memes are also an end to a platform devoid of any of our own words or creative postings and then become a dime a dozen. I stopped following many Instagram accounts, because it's all they post. It's also a sign I feel the platform is stale and dying.
ReplyDeleteBut Sweet Bear looks great! But did he treat himself to the hat?????
Only the photo of the hat.
DeleteI wanted the hat, but then I thought "and where and when would I wear it?"
DeleteThere is always NSO nights.
DeleteGreat idea to delete FB off the phone. I'm doing it right now. No ear buds for me when I take my walks. I don't own a pair of ear buds. I've used them a few times and ended up using just one...don't like being cut off from the world. Like you, I like to hear the life that is going on around me and also be aware of traffic.
ReplyDeleteIf I am making a phone call I use earbuds or headphones, but not when I walk.
DeleteI actually use it on my phone for Messenger; it makes it quicker to contact co-workers about work and such. But it has devolved into memes and jokes.
ReplyDeleteMessenger never hooked me, I use texts and email.
DeleteIt's easy to waste hours on a phone. You are right about putting it down.
ReplyDeleteEasy to say, hard to do.
DeleteThe Wicked Hamster looks good in a hat, but that photo of you is gold, PURE GOLD. And yes, don't waste any time on meme posts EXCEPT MINE.
ReplyDeleteI find bloggs different, because I go to content creators that I want to see, the content is not fed to me by an algorithm designed to glue me to the screen.
DeleteThis post made me smile! I deleted Facebook years ago but I deleted it completely. I still have Instagram but not on my phone. I probably look at it about once a week. I don't have earbuds. I am free to enjoy what is going on around me and I like it that way. I love these photos!
ReplyDeleteI check FB and Insta more often than I should.
DeleteBut do you leave time for your companion?
ReplyDeleteLots of time, we just returned from an evening out.
Delete