Nathan wrote Anti-Social Media today (alternate link). How fitting of a timing.
I agree on almost all fronts. Mastodon is pretty much the same as Twitter as far as dopamine kicks go. It’s a struggle for me too. We don’t need to pretend ethical automatically implies better in all respects.
On account of some recent events in my personal life as well as my ongoing struggle with depression, I have uninstalled Twitter from my phone and don’t use it for any more than 10 minutes in a week. If I have some very specific need that just cannot be fulfilled outside of Twitter. Only if.
In addition to this, I no longer use Instagram to consume — only create. As always, I turn off all Instagram notifications. I need to choose to go to the app; not the other way around.
Along with Twitter, I also took a break from my (public-facing) Mastodon account (Fosstodon). In the last week or so, I haven’t posted much tech content on my private Mastodon account (SmallCamp). 90% of it has been personal. Life updates, sharing lyrics to songs I like or I am listening to, sometimes photos from ‘IRL’, and the like.
All of these combined have caused a certain shift in my mind after a week. Perceptible, even if slightly. I’m in no mood to give this up.
Perhaps the next and final step would be to use even my private Mastodon account with no notifications — just like Instagram.
And, like Nathan, I hope to soon be in a space where I can journal — whether on a diary or on Bear.
So, if you’re looking for me. I’m here, just not there.
https://degruchy.org/2022/03/09/anti-social-media/