Stop Browsing Mindless Memes.
In March of 2018, I stopped browsing mindless memes. I realized I wasn’t gaining value by scrolling. So, I stopped. As a result, I spent my time better, and I became more optimistic.
Browsing memes was fun. Memes can reveal hidden parts of culture. They provide fresh points of view on deep issues. They are relatable and viral. Reddit has been the cutting edge platform for meme creation. Usually, the comments in Reddit threads are engaging and strive to push the conversation forward.
Dank memes are something else. Dank memes are often self-referential and pointless, replaying inside jokes for cheap laughs. Others are so ridiculous that they don’t make sense. Dank memes are hilarious, but browsing is a downward spiral.
When I opened the Reddit mobile app, I would lose myself for a while. I stayed awake staring into the bright blue glow scrolling, scrolling, scrolling. My back got sore from slouching over the toilet. Creative users uploaded their new dank memes 24/7. It was addicting.
I don’t remember what made me decide to stop. Maybe it was the final tug of disappointment from waking up tired, again, after staying up too late. Maybe I was becoming cynical. Maybe I heard myself saying the stupidity I was reading.
Operationally, I moved the position of the Reddit app on my phone. I replaced it with the Pocket articles app. Now when I felt like browsing memes, I’d wake up as I opened Pocket instead.
For a week or two, it kinda sucked. But the world didn’t crash down on me. I didn’t need it. Eventually, I uninstalled Reddit altogether.
Today, I use Reddit like I use Facebook: I don’t scroll. If I do scroll, it doesn’t last long, and it’s not too pleasant. Partly this is because I’m not the type of person who scrolls aimlessly anymore. But it’s also because I uninstalled the fancy native mobile apps (the thing you download from the app store). So, I can only access Reddit and Facebook using a mobile internet browser. Both Reddit and Facebook do not optimize their mobile sites on a mobile Internet browser. This makes the user experience on the browser unpleasant. Fortunately, I use that unpleasantness to limit usage.
Maybe there’s an idea for an add-on to apps. Suppose something saps our attention without giving us value. Don’t directly limit the time spent on the app, because this takes a lot of willpower. Instead, reduce the user-friendliness of the app. The add-on would make browsing slower and awkward. Instead, limit the quality and we are less likely to binge. Use that to your advantage!
Hanging onto my attention gave me back my mindfulness. I followed this thread into my next improvement the following month.
