This week, I installed an application that turns off my Facebook use if I am on it on my phone for more than fifteen minutes every four hours. I didn’t really think I had a social media addiction (only OTHER people have a problem with it, not me). But I tried it out and do you know what happened? Instead of being frustrated with being bored, I am finding myself simply being patient with my brain not having things to do all the time. I thought bored was the problem, but it turns out that boredom may be the solution.
This really grabbed my attention. I have found a similar "need" for distraction and have blamed it on ptsd (fire brain--I survived a wildfire in 2015 where I lost my home and peace of mind.) Hunting for news on ongoing fires and then later pandemic info (I am the safety coordinator at work) I scoured social media posts and news podcasts constantly. But your post made me realize that prior to 2015 and a need of more crucial information, I just used my phone for music, audio books and occasional facebook. I moved away from the fire zone in 2021 and there are much better tools (Watch Duty app) to track fires that may still affect me or loved ones. But I have found myself struggle to be alone in my thoughts, uncomfortable without constant input. I have blamed this on the fire, but it is time to re-examine how much is due to social media reinforcement and the input itself creating a need for more input. And I wonder what affect this has had on creating new bad habits such as mindless eating due to boredom or scrolling while watching tv. It is like I cannot just do one thing at a time.
What’s the name of the app that turns FB off after 15 minutes? I could use something like that. Does it turn off other apps, or just FB?
I use App Nanny
Thx!
This really grabbed my attention. I have found a similar "need" for distraction and have blamed it on ptsd (fire brain--I survived a wildfire in 2015 where I lost my home and peace of mind.) Hunting for news on ongoing fires and then later pandemic info (I am the safety coordinator at work) I scoured social media posts and news podcasts constantly. But your post made me realize that prior to 2015 and a need of more crucial information, I just used my phone for music, audio books and occasional facebook. I moved away from the fire zone in 2021 and there are much better tools (Watch Duty app) to track fires that may still affect me or loved ones. But I have found myself struggle to be alone in my thoughts, uncomfortable without constant input. I have blamed this on the fire, but it is time to re-examine how much is due to social media reinforcement and the input itself creating a need for more input. And I wonder what affect this has had on creating new bad habits such as mindless eating due to boredom or scrolling while watching tv. It is like I cannot just do one thing at a time.