Quitting Reddit
I don't use social media like Facebook or Instagram or LinkedIn, etc. Nor have I ever indulged in Snapchat or TikTok. Presently, this blog is my deliberate presence on the Internet.
What's not deliberate is my use of Reddit, the last holdout I need to overcome w/r/t doom-scrolling and distracted screen time. I don't have an account, for I'm more or less a lurker. It tickles my brain because I can look up sub-reddits based on my interests and indulge in conversation. Even though I'm not participating in discussion myself, it still gives me that dopamine hit that the designers and engineers sought to manufacture.
Lately I've noticed that the conversation has been taken up, more and more, by bots and AI. It's particularly irritating when I'm reading up on Stoic philosophy, which focuses on practical wisdom. There's something absurd about reading, on the web, about a bot's interpretation of a philosophy. Really, if I wanted an AI's interpretation of a topic (and I rarely do), I would seek it out myself. Conversation, in other words, has become low-caloric. In turn, I've returned to the classic texts to hone my own interpretation and understanding of Stoicism.
Then there's the general volume of terrible news. It's hard to look away, especially as US politics increasingly affects people in their everyday lives. Previously, those with marginalized identities felt the brunt of policies and orders; now, with groceries and gas costing more, the instinct to follow the news to make sense of the future is especially appealing. But more often than not, news items on Reddit are just snapshots of unfolding events: they're not comprehensive, and the discussions, while furious, are hardly qualified by expertise. In short, it's more harmful than helpful to form my sense of the world through Reddit.
Lastly, it's a veritable timesuck. It's easy to feel superior in having my poison not be TikTok—it's an addiction that others have that I don't find appealing. And it's tempting to rationalize that Reddit offers knowledge and community. However, I'm realizing that it's all the same: I might not be on one platform going through reels, but I'm still overwhelming my mind with an influx of information with no discernible goal. There's no shortage of rabbit holes to plunder, and there's no destination to reach.
So, I've decided to make a serious effort to cut Reddit out of my life. Intuitively I know I can find the information that it provides elsewhere, when I need it. It means instead of going into a proverbial all-you-can-eat buffet with surprising items on offer, I'm called to be more conscious of my diet and to control my intake.
To this end, I'm going to take drastic measures. I've used them at one time or another, but never in concert or with serious commitment.
First: using site blockers, such as LeechBlock NG. Second, editing the /etc/hosts file on my Linux computers to block the site. Third, blocking the site on my phone through settings.
While I'm at it, I'll throw in Hacker News and other news-y sites. I know myself enough to know that I'll be looking for alternatives when the withdrawal symptoms show up.
I also know that for the next while, life is going to feel dull and slow. Which is what I really need right now, both personally and worldly speaking. I consider it a (re)calibration of my brain.
Wish me luck.