goooooooo hooooooooooooome
______________ ,~.
_( )_ o ,-'__ `-,
_( i fear the )_ o o {,-' `. } ,')
( possibility of ) o ,( a ) `-.__ ,',')~,
( a phone ) <=.) ( `-.__,==' ' ' '}
(_ entering my _) ( ) /
(_ body _) `-'\ , )
(_ schema _) | \ `~. /
(_________) \ `._ \ /
\ `._____,' /
`-. ,'
`-. ,-' (hasn't it already?)
`~~~~'
//_||
__//--'/` hjw
,--'/` '
'
this is my little list of alternatives for phone and/or social media use that i've found and enjoyed. i will almost definitely expand this to include other strategies i've heard from other people, but this is pretty
squarely centered (hmm) on what has worked for me. my *phone* screentime is about 1.5-2.5hr/day- maps, portable music, calling, and texting r indisposable to me. ideally, i'll get this number lower- my ideal is a steady
average of 1hr/week, considering my dependence on maps, calling, and texting. i do intend to return to the beautiful illusive mp3 player (my last one just... stopped connecting to my computer... no serial number, company
name was fake, unfindable user's manual. it's frozen in 2022, featuring much Yo La Tengo, Bruce Springsteen, and Car Seat Headrest). computer time is unknowable. i have not put slay the spire on my phone for a reason...
i will say... there's a difference to me between "social media" and the social web. i strongly encourage interaction with the social web, as you'll see later
.sss.
$P'`T.
$; :; cell phone:
$; :$
__......$b__d$ * carrying a small, pocket-sized notepad. any works, including scraps of paper (see: /worknotesetc). i frequently run w a 99c notepad, thrifted or fresh from a grocery.
.sd$$$P^^^^^^^TBuG$s. use it to jot down anything at all- many of my notepads have repeats of "i'm tired". all that matters is you keep your hands moving.
.$P' ___ _`T$.
$P """ (_) T$ * similarly, carry small, pocket-sized puzzles. sudoku forever!
s$ _..---***---.._ $s
$$ .' ALCATEL `. $$ ^ admittedly, these are the only two strategies that have worked (very well!) for me for over a few years now... there's not much else i go for, aside from practice in doing check-ins
.$$. .-------------. .$$. and asking myself why i'm reaching for the cell in a moment of boredom (re: fear of its place in my body schema)
:$$: : ; ;$$;
$$;| | | |:$$ social media:
$$'| | | |'$$
$$ | | | | $$ * maybe you just want to scroll...
$$ | | | | $$ * find a pdf (or archive.org upload, music journalism websites, etc.,) to look through. easiest starting for "mindlessness" point may be a pdf of an art/photography/etc book.
$$ | : ; | $$ "mindlessness" is near impossible when you more or less know the subject you're about to get into- i feel like this method is conducive to more curiosity
$$.; `-------------' :.$$ than scrolling in the blind aspiration of ever-illusive inspiration
$$; . (C) .-. . :$$ * go through things you've saved (could be on socials tbh, but could also be screenshots/saves in your own camera roll) rather than looking for new
:$$ `-. / _ \ .-' $$; content. figure out what really spoke to you, what was a mindless glance. sit with your collection, sift out what qualifies as digital hoarding
'$$ .-.`.: (_) ;.'.-. $$'
$$ : ; `.___.' : ; $$ * text people you haven't texted in ages (but be wise, don't take this as a sign to unblock that number. i am actively discouraging you from doing so)
$$ `-' `-' $$
$$.( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ).$$ * stay social: find forums, send people emails, dig through people's blogs and make a point to comment/leave a signature in guestbook, browse webrings, etc. the social
$$; :$$ aspect of the internet is beautiful, and deserves to be embraced whole-heartedly (though even i sink in this ocean, being slightly asocial myself). big-name social medias
:$$ ( 4 ).( 5 ).( 6 ) $$; discourage this element of interaction, near-violently so.
'$$ $$' * which is to say, if you are going to use instagram, twitter, bluesky, tumblr, etc.- make it a social space. reach out to people you think do cool shit. ask them questions,
$$ ( 7 ) ( 8 ) ( 9 ) $$ wish them well, share information... interact!
$$ $$
$$ ( * ) ( 0 ) ( # ) $$ * instead of hosting it on your cell phone, host it on your computer instead. functions are often more limited (ex: ig story posting), short-form videos are harder to idlly scroll, etc.
$$. .$$ * one could also start by deleting the apps and only using the sites on a phone's browser. most photo and text-oriented social medias will let you do this- i know tiktok will not.
$$; o :$P
T$b. .d$P
`^T$$$$$$$$$$$$$P^'
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.'` .- - __- - - -- --__--- -. `'.
__ / ,'` _|--|_________|--|_ `'. \
/'--| ; _.'\ | ' ' | /'._ ; |
// | |_.-' .-'.' - -- - '.'-. '-._| |
(\) \"` _.-` / \ `-._ `"/
(\) `-` / .---------. \ `-`
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(\) /.--| '---------' |
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(\)_._._.__(\) | |
(\\\\jgs\\\) '.___________________.'
'-'-'-'--'
goooooooo hooooooooooooome