Life, the Internet, and me

Still figuring this one out

Interestingly, I started writing this almost two years ago. It’s been sitting in the draft folder ever since.

“Earlier this year, I stopped using Facebook. This week, I pruned my email and RSS subscriptions, deleting some of the more active lists. Today, I chose not to respond to an angry person on Twitter.

I feel like my relationship with the Internet (internet?) is evolving, sometimes in the right direction.”

Well, that was then and this is now, and my improved relationship with the internet didn’t last.

Last week I again felt the need to cut back on Facebook, after starting to use it again last year. For me, Facebook is something that slowly increases over time, taking more and more of my attention.

Last time I got rid of it I deleted all my friends. This time, thanks to its expanded features, I just unfollowed them.

What that means is that I don’t see anyone else’s posts, but they can see mine. I can see their comments on my posts, but nothing else.

It’s a way of turning Facebook into a broadcast rather than a source of new content. Another way of looking at it would be in terms of being a free rider. I get to share my stuff with the world but never see what anyone else writes 🙂

In some ways it’s similar to browsing the web with an ad blocker.

Either way, it seems to be working. I check Facebook less now, and when I do there is no new content to see so I just close the browser tab again. I’m hoping over time the urge to check will also go down.

Why this sudden desire to regain my time? I have some projects I want to finish.