Digital Minimalism Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Luxuria
- Start date
Haha, thanks for the tip. I agree. Not reading it is the best way to go about not reading it. I think I need to go back to the model I had in the beginning of the year. Which was 'I'll hear what I need to hear about the news' from other people in real life. I have to TRUST those around me to tell me important things and then, the other thing is 'don't investigate it'. Because I end up going down the news rabbithole. Haha.
Thanks. It really is the same shit all the time. So, I guess I can try and tell myself 'I've read everything' and finished 'the book of the news,'. Haha.
I not only don't read it, I unfollow/unfriend accounts that spend a lot of time trying to hype people up over things or constantly post news. If it's someone I genuinely don't want to unfriend (like family) I just mute them for a bit. Like Homer and DLC said, it's all same shit different day to me and I do not have the brain space to get worked up over things that I can't do anything about.Also, does anyone have any tips for avoiding news and stupid stuff? It's the one area I am currently struggling with. Also, feel free to post your DM stories here, too. I want to hear them!
I also unfriend/unfollow people who post constant sympathy porn. Meaning the "help us save this dog", "these poor people were murdered by..", "donate here for blah blah". It's not that I don't care, I do. I care too much. And everyone and their brother has their hand out for something. It's exhausting and the implied guilt makes me angry when so many can barely make their rent. I just can't do it.
refuin talmann
New Member
i leave my house without phone as much as i can
I don't know too much about reddit (I only ever use the askhistorians channel when researching stuff), but youtube ... it depends. Much of it is dross, but there are good things on youtube too.
Reddit and YouTube are just tools. What people do with those tools is up to them. Giving up YouTube also means giving up on glittering gems like this:
Get yourself a browser that can’t block YouTube ads (unless you’re one if those people who don’t mind the ads…). That killed YouTube for me. I can’t stand the constant ads so I just don’t go back unless I actually need a video guide for something.
As to how to avoid news: I find it difficult to avoid something interesting, but easier to find something else to do instead. I got a library card and now I always have interesting books. Those help keep me away from doomscrolling.
This is an awesome idea. I love it. I have the most trouble with Youtube on my phone, because I can't block shorts. I ended up spending 2-3 hours on shorts yesterday and felt like I was had a a casino. Which most likely, isn't far from the truth. I will try unblocking ads. Because I am very anti-ads at the moment and it might kill my enjoyment. Which would be great.
YES! I love the library. I am doing a lot of reading for school right now, but I will see what I can get from the library. Even a manga book is better than the phone. I think that might be nice.
What about ad-blockers?
I use Adblock Plus, in conjuction with NoScript (for blocking potentially dangerous scripts), and have never had any trouble with YouTube ads.I have three library cards, but I haven't been to any of those libraries for years. It's not that I don't want to borrow books - it's just that, having been a member for so long, I've read everything that interests me. *shrug*
Yes, that's the problem. I did have the ad-blockers working just fine originally, and then after a Youtube update they stopped working. During the time that I was too lazy to look for an update, I discovered how much I hate the ads but also how much they pushed me away from Youtube (which I was happy about), so I just never got around to properly updating. I never feel the urge to browse Youtube now.What about ad-blockers?
(Also, changing my settings so it never saves my history means there's never anything interesting shown...)
Not even any new books?
Sorry. When I see a new book that interests me, I want to grab and read it immediately ... but alas, if it really interests me, I also want to own it. *
@ Self* That's why I had three fully stuffed bookcases at home, and even that's not enough -- because I'm reading a book now (about scientists who made poor decisions or behaved badly), and I have another half-dozen books on my "to read" list.
Aggh! Too many books, not enough time -- the curse of the bibliophile!
Honestly, I don't remember the last time I purpousely left my house without my phone. I'm old enough to remeber rotary telephones at my grandparents house, so I do remember a time before cell phones where mandatory.
That would be brutal. I'd give up YouTube in half a second if I couldn't block in video adds.
I've de-Googled my life as much as I can. YouTube is one site I spend too much time on, and I do have a Google Pixel phone, which ironically is currently the only phone that runs GraphineOS, a de-Googled version of Android.
