Introduction
Have you ever mindlessly scrolled through a sea of endless content on social media? Many of us have experienced moments of realization, questioning the hours spent on platforms like Twitter or Reddit, often leading to drastic decisions like deleting apps or entire accounts. The motives are noble: break free from the digital trance. Yet, more often than not, we find ourselves slipping back into old habits, doom-scrolling again.
But after some back-and-forth between going all-in and quitting, I found something unexpected. When I attempted to quit social media, mainly Reddit, I noticed a gap in my learning. Surprisingly, in between the senseless scrolling, I was absorbing valuable insights from the interesting subreddits I followed. Random comments and posts often led me to new books or random rabbit holes. For instance, my current read, "Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding" by Daniel Lieberman, was a gem found in an obscure Reddit thread (highly recommended book, btw).
Is there a way to harness the power of social media for our benefit? Can these platforms, often criticized for their addictive nature, also be a source of knowledge and inspiration? Well, the apparent answer is *yes, in my opinion* (that's why I'm writing a whole blog post about it). So here's how to turn social media into a tool for personal growth and learning rather than a pitfall of procrastination (and some procrastination, too; let's not fool ourselves).
The dilemma of social media - Signal vs. Noise
As the old tale goes, in social media, there's a battle between two wolves: "signal" and "noise". The 'signal' represents valuable, meaningful information that enriches our knowledge and understanding. In contrast, 'noise' refers to the clutter of irrelevant or misleading content that often dominates our feeds. And which one will win? The one you feed (ha! this got deep).
Ironically, our online behavior sometimes amplifies this noise. Provocative, clickbait content grabs more of our attention, even to argue against it. Our innate curiosity gets drawn to these bold, rage-inducing clickbait statements, overshadowing the valuable 'signals' like insightful tips from industry experts or interesting articles.
This dilemma is exacerbated by social media algorithms that prioritize engagement. As we interact more with 'noise,' these platforms feed us more of the same, skewing our experience towards less valuable content. The challenge, then, is finding a way to filter the noise and enhance the signal.
Rethinking our approach to social media
The overwhelming noise on social media usually leads to two extremes: either we get consumed by it or decide to quit entirely. It's a natural defense mechanism to distance ourselves from what seems harmful. The impact of social media can vary significantly from person to person, influencing our decision to stay connected or disconnect.
Yet, there's an undeniable allure to social media. It's not just about getting enraged by controversial posts; there's more to it, right? We return because we seek knowledge, updates in our professional fields, insights into our friends' lives, and be on top of the latest JavaScript framework (joking, joking (not joking)).
But what if the key to a healthier social media experience lies in our own hands? Is it possible that we are unknowingly amplifying the noise? It may be a good time to introspect: how often do you find yourself drawn to topics that enrich you versus getting caught in a negative vortex that leaves you emotionally drained?
Perhaps the solution isn't quitting social media but consciously reshaping our interaction with it. How can we tune out the noise and tune into the signal? It's about redefining our social media habits to foster growth and positivity rather than falling into the trap of negativity. Let's tackle that in separate parts.
Identifying and filtering out the noise
It's critical to be mindful of our social media consumption. Try to identify times when negative emotions arise. What content are you consuming at that moment? Recognizing those triggers is the first step in regaining control of our online experience.
These are some things to keep in mind:
Negativity without constructiveness: Avoid accounts that dwell on the negative without offering solutions or acknowledging positive aspects. As Bjarne Stroustrup put it: "*there are only two kinds of languages: the ones people complain about and the ones nobody uses*"
Skepticism: Be skeptical of posts that present strong arguments or dubious claims without credible sources or evidence. Also, learn to be skeptical of the source itself. Everyone has heard about some "Harvard study" that claims whatever you want to prove. Apply the Sagan standard: "*extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence*"
Ragebait: If a post triggers immediate anger, it's likely designed to do so and a good candidate for that "block" button
Complexity and polarization: The world is a complicated place. Information that tries to present a topic in a highly polarized manner without acknowledging the complexities or differing viewpoints can contribute to a toxic environment
Navigating criticism: Differentiate between constructive criticism and trolling. If it feels more like an attack than feedback, it's probably the latter
If you notice accounts that consistently fall in any of these points, you have all the power to block or mute them. Social media's vast network means you're unlikely to miss out on important information. The peace of mind you gain from avoiding negativity is a worthwhile trade-off for indiscriminate muting.
Curating your social media
Having minimized the noise, we've already made significant progress. The next step is to enrich our feeds by following interesting people and topics. This creates a virtuous cycle: interesting people often lead to more interesting connections, and engaging topics open doors to related, enriching content.
As well when reducing the negativity of social media, if we bring awareness to our usage, we can spot signs of people and topics worth following.
Follow reputable professionals: These people (often) have some reputation to keep. Usually, they are more measured in their takes and are backed by a career-long reputation
Curated lists: Look for lists of curated content and discussions. Usually, people like to share who they deem worthy of listening
Use the algorithm: Engaging with the content you think is positive leads to more content like it. Like, upvote, comment, save, whatever reinforces the almighty algorithm
Broaden your perspective: Read things outside your interests. It's an excellent way to incorporate different views into your domain
Here's a very incomplete and absolutely opinionated, software-leaning list of people I found interesting:
Danny Thompson, shares his thoughts mostly about starting on the software developer path and how to get a job. Incredible guy with a positive attitude and a genuine drive to help
Josh Comeau, talented writer and teacher. I've taken both his courses (for CSS and React), and his passion equals his deep understanding and clarity to explain
Alex Xu, writes about system design and software architecture
Gergely Orosz, writes "The Pragmatic Engineer" blog, filled with valuable content about the software engineer career path (he got a book out recently)
Bill Gates, if I have a thing to add, is that he's super optimistic about humanity and its achievements as a whole, and makes me hopeful for a better future
James Clear, author of "Atomic habits", a practical book about how to stack small habits to be a little bit better each day
Fireship, because he's incredible and humorous
Matt Pocock, the guy is a TypeScript wizard, and if he can't convince you to use TypeScript to make your shopping list, nobody will
Tanner Linsley, creator of TanStack. A wholesome guy and also a brilliant coder and creator
Mark Erikson, nerd
Curating your social media is an active, ongoing process. It requires regular maintenance to ensure you're continually deriving value. If you notice a slip back into old habits, reassess your list to see if something might have slipped through the cracks. The beauty of a well-curated feed is that any negative content becomes immediately apparent.
Embrace a 'good enough' approach. Your social media curation isn't set in stone; it's a dynamic, evolving process. Don't worry about getting it perfect from the start. Feel free to adjust your follows and favorites as your interests and needs change.
Conclusion
When approached with intention and awareness, social media can be more than just a way to doom scroll into oblivion; it can be a gateway to learning, inspiration, and diverse perspectives. This might be a good time to apply some of the strategies. Observe the changes in your social media experience and the impact on your overall well-being.
We have the power to shape our social media experience. It's about making conscious choices to improve our digital environment.