Why I’m censoring my Web
In 2017, I felt drained and didn’t have any real reason for it, beyond political news fatigue and lack of sleep.
I found myself starting projects, getting distracted, having aspirational dreams and then delaying them for one reason or another.
In the New Year I wanted to find “more time” for my life, for learning, for exploring.
It was time for a digital audit.
The Audit Process
I started tracking my digital life via the desktop app, Rescue Time. I found the app through a “How I Work” expose on Lifehacker.com. Robby Macdonell, VP of Product Development, describes the product as an easy way to “reclaim” your time.
The app install only took a few minutes and monitors the application usage locally as well as through the browser. During the initial on-boarding you’ll establish what industry you work in which will help inform the “Productive” and “Non-Productive” categories. Additionally, you can set limits & goals to reach.
I was initially concerned with privacy, but Rescue Time does a great job of giving you all the controls necessary to make sure you’re comfortable with the data you’re sharing.
#1. Install + setup RescueTime on Desktop + Chrome
#2. Download the Moment App on iOS to track on your phone
#3. Browse and use your computer / phone as you would
#4. After 2 weeks, check your stats at the Dashboard
#5. Analyze where you’re spending your time & take action!
We’ve all been there — at times I would find myself opening a tab entering a URL, command + t, enter another website, again, and again. Aimlessly turning on the faucet of information and attempting to funnel it directly into my brain.
I’d look up and realize I have 28 tabs open, 3 hours had passed by and there was still work to be finished.
Time Drain: The Numbers
After monitoring my usage for 2 weeks I was able to quantify where & how long I’m averaging on each site and app per day. The insights were helpful and a bit shocking, I couldn’t believe how high my “social networking” tracking was. I didn’t feel like I was that tapped into it.
The dots started connecting and I began to correlate my social media usage with a skewed perception of time. I was curious… what nearly an hour a day adds up to if I started when I first joined Facebook in 2006.
WEEKS IN 12 YEARS: 625.71
HOURS SPENT LAST WEEK: 6.75 * # of WEEKS
TOTAL DAYS = 4223.54 HOURS / 24 HOURS: 176 DAYS
HALF A YEAR…
…was lost on one platform. The math gets even scarier when you take into account that we all need sleep and split the numbers into how many 8-hour work days. My number is 528 days.
It gets even more terrifying when I tell you that these numbers are solely from my laptop, not mobile.
It’s almost as if my default state had turned into Facebook, an easy escape. The next time you’re waiting on the train, an elevator, at the store, at work / school, take a look around at the other screens, we’re all scrolling.
I’m hooked, so are you, so are your parents.
There are a multitude of articles discussing the addictive reward system loop that social media companies are using, it’s shockingly clear after watching the video below about Operant Conditioning. TL:DW — The video shows a Pigeon trained to peck & turn on command when rewarded.
operant conditioning n.
A process of behavior modification in which a subject is encouraged to behave in a desired manner through positive or negative reinforcement, so that the subject comes to associate the pleasure or displeasure of the reinforcement with the behavior.
I’m not a Pigeon
Taking the average time over the past few weeks isn’t fair to Facebook. They’ve been regularly optimizing, iterating and improving on the feed and how it lives today.
They acknowledge that there might be a problem and the need to change.
I’m not worried about my historical #’s because I can’t measure it with certainty, only hypothesize. Now that I’ve installed RescueTime, I can 100% confirm my usage and refuse to lose another 176 Days to ANYTHING that doesn’t make me intrinsically happier.
That’s why I’m logging out. To combat my addiction I installed the chrome extension, Block Site, to ban my usage. I’ve deleted the Facebook app, deleted the browser from saving my password, and logged out.
The Challenge
Now that I’ve posted my stats, I challenge you to audit yours. Don’t share them, but take back your time. If we all slow our sharing, we all stop feeding the pings, notifications, and buzzes. Maybe, just maybe, if we stop the machine we can all get back to what we actually enjoy.
I’m excited about the future, what my potential is, and what we can all accomplish together. The problem, which all of us face, is focus.
#FollowMe , #ClapMe… or don’t, whatever you do, just stop scrolling.
🖥
