sorry for multiple “i'm writing a blog post about things related to me writing blog posts :)” blog posts in a row. this was a rost that got out of hand because i'm trying to limit twitter usage and i was like “heh, i should just rost instead of tweet” and then it ballooned into this.
in no particular order: my ideal Digital Stuff usage:
1. i don't spend more than 2ish hours a day on social media (1 hour if i can help it, but 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the evening sounds good enough), but i partake in exactly enough nosy “keeping up with various people and their various subcultural dramas” snooping to sate my curiosity and guide me towards knowing what i want to do with my life based on how their lives are going and whether it sounds like something i want for myself. i have things i can do away from the computer that stimulate me intellectually and entertainment-wise.
2. i learn to pirate music, books, tv shows, movies, and maybe even games so i don't have to spend much money on streaming services and such. i have my own media server but also have friends with their own media servers who i can reach out to if im too lazy to find something on SUPERCOOLFILES DOT CUM. i'm able to put aside brainpower and time to sit and watch something and take things away from it, but i also have a couple brain-off series on the shelf in case i need background noise that isn't lyricless music or things from noise generators.
3. when i sit down at my laptop or tablet to Do Work, i actually do that work. i have siteblocking extensions and tools in case i really need to lock in on something, but in general i've cultivated enough willpower to not endlessly scroll or click on links on line or otherwise look for distractions. if i go on the internet, i know specifically what i'm going there for, and maybe occasionally i get pulled into an interesting rabbithole that i'm glad i learned about, but most of the time i either get what i need and go or i am able to use my allotted “scrolling time” and then leave without complaint.
4. i have parts of my living space that are enhanced by things like smart plugs or wifi-connected applicances, but i'm never held hostage by an app or a specific company and i could survive if the internet goes out or a company goes under or whatever. i don't buy things based on trends and fad and instead do research on what i need and the best way to get it. i already spend months debating over whether i actually want things, but i'm more intentional about figuring out what i want instead of just anxiously ruminating over it for ages. and i don't have a fuckton of wires or plugs that i don't know what to do with.
5. i'm not reliant on things like messager apps or social media DMs to keep up with friends. i don't abandon online friends — i can visit them freely, even if we're in different countries (this is the most pipe-dream hope in this post). i'm not reliant on weird, parasocial relationships i've built with various strangers online for my social interactions, and i can build friendships based on mutual respect and enjoyment of someone as a person, not just because we like the same videos.
6. my website is a place i have full control over, both in the hosting sense and the “having the knowledge to do with my site what i want” sense. if i want to change the layout, i don't need to sit down and re-learn HTML and CSS and blindly flail about not knowing what the fuck i'm typing does. i can just brainstorm what i want, test out each idea, and choose what works best for me. i make use of everything i say i'm going to do, and pages don't sit as WIPs for months, if not years.
7. i get my email shit in order and move social media accounts to their own emails instead of the “name@cockmail.com and name+@cockmail.com and name++ at cockmail.com” shit i have going on. i unsubscribe from bullshit unless i actually want to read it. i'm not an inbox zero kind of person because i don't have an Emails Job (yet) and i like having a list of who sent me what email at what time, the way email clients show you by default if you don't delete emails as they're dealt with. but it would be nice to clear the cruft i don't need.
now, am i gonna put any effort into any of this? no lmao. i love being lazy and not improving myself, i take pleasure in bitching about things i can fix and then not fixing them. sorry dr. devon price, laziness DOES exist, because i enjoy it. revel in it, even. my tabliss home page futily tries to et me to do things with the quote "stop sabatoging yourself. you need to become better now so you can become even worse later" pinned to the top of the screen. it does nothing for me. hopefully one day a switch flips and the "i take pleasure in avoiding things that make me feel good" neuron in my brain becomes confused and interprets the pleasure i get from avoiding things as a thing itself that needs to be avoided, thus making me a normal person who derives pleasure from improving their life, completing the circule of stupidity.