Every time I take a break, I notice profound benefits with very minor social setbacks. Then I indulge again and I am a crack head for the doom scroll in no time, completely content to waste away my entire existence. It’s horrifying how addictive social media has become.
I seek to build a life where I can wholly thrive outside the bounds of social media. It bothers me how little our presidential candidates discuss things like social media or AI, as if they aren’t the true bipartisan elephants in the room destroying/going to destroy America.
This is why I want to build my own self sustaining micro community. We still need socialization, of course, but big cities lack a depth of connection that I personally crave. And rural America has become destroyed by drugs and religious fervor. I want to live in rural nature close with other likeminded people!
I could have written this 😅 that would be a dream. I would love to live remotely but the reality is that I would not find like-minded people outside (liberal) cities. I know we‘re not alone, but where are all the people like us???
People like us exist everywhere, but the easiest way to find us is through the internet. Would love to work on an article with you about micro communities! I don’t need credit I just want to get the idea out there. We have never been more empowered to create them with modern technology. I’ll DM you!
Thank you Alice for the kind words! Do it!! Even just for a while. If it makes you feel better, you'll be so motivated to figure out a more nourishing relationship with it.
Super helpful. I'm considering giving up my WHOOP bracelet after three years of continuous use. And I just got the Brick device to help keep me off my phone. It's not perfect, but it's better than overriding my screen time limit password regularly. This post helps give me the courage to keep going!
Wow, I hadn't heart of the brick device! That's smart. I'll be curious to hear how you like using it. I agree, screen time limits did little for me. The best interrupter for me is still to leave the phone at home when I go to certain places, or leave it in another room while working. Out of sight, out of mind!
When I went off social media and ALL scrolling for a couple weeks, I found after the first few days, I started to twitch! Like a junkie. This made me realize how the addiction is "chemical", similar to how people get addicted to drugs or other substances and it's this kind of adrenaline you get addicted to. Very scary, and made me realize that it needs to be treated like a real addiction. Great post!
Oh wow but 100% yes we should treat it as such. It should have a warning label. For me it's always shocking when I make an intention to pick my phone up less (not even to scroll but mostly check emails or to do list) - and noticing how I reach for it in EVERY free second, compulsively avoiding to do "nothing" in the little moments between the day. What am I looking for in there??? It is a dangerous social experiment we're running...
this is the kindest thing you could say.... i always wonder how to meet more people I can relate to, maybe we'll need a zoom hang or something the likes
Your article is on point! And wow!... how great that you deleted the accounts for a while! That‘s powerful!
To me, part of why I switched to Substack is rooted in the frustration with the short-form social media platforms. It is much nicer to read full-lenght blogposts with actual food for thought like back in the day. Glad I discovered the Journey.
Hi Katie, thanks so much! Glad to have you here. I feel similar about Substack. Are you on the app and using Notes, too? That part of Substack is technically social media but somehow it feels materially different. I’m currently embracing it more, but monitoring how it impacts me.
the mind very naturally enters the state of hypnosis when we are scrolling, and/or focused on a screen. ads that resonate land as hypnotic suggestions, to be acted upon by your conscious, thinking mind, which is offline and blissed out by the deluge of hormones activated by the doom scroll 😵💫
I am new to your substack and this article clarifies dopamine as "pleasure in my head" vs "pleasure where I am." It's an insight I hadn't been introduced to about dopamine. I will try to monitor my experiences. I definitely have a scowling habit that is taking over (especially since covid plus recovery from a motorcycle accident.)
I came to your stack due to my interest in integration and look forward to your writings on the topic. In recent weeks I have found microdosing mushrooms the best approach to finding "pleasure where I am." ... I would delve into other articles about this if you have references or perhaps ideas for future articles. I will search through your posts for related pieces. The footnote links to this article didn't lead me in this direction.
thank you for the insight and inspiration. I
Do you have any insight or references about the immediate effects of THC, the flights of blood thumbing ideation as conditioning for scrolling? I hadn't connected them before but now I do.
Every time I take a break, I notice profound benefits with very minor social setbacks. Then I indulge again and I am a crack head for the doom scroll in no time, completely content to waste away my entire existence. It’s horrifying how addictive social media has become.
I seek to build a life where I can wholly thrive outside the bounds of social media. It bothers me how little our presidential candidates discuss things like social media or AI, as if they aren’t the true bipartisan elephants in the room destroying/going to destroy America.
This is why I want to build my own self sustaining micro community. We still need socialization, of course, but big cities lack a depth of connection that I personally crave. And rural America has become destroyed by drugs and religious fervor. I want to live in rural nature close with other likeminded people!
Is that too much to ask?!
I could have written this 😅 that would be a dream. I would love to live remotely but the reality is that I would not find like-minded people outside (liberal) cities. I know we‘re not alone, but where are all the people like us???
People like us exist everywhere, but the easiest way to find us is through the internet. Would love to work on an article with you about micro communities! I don’t need credit I just want to get the idea out there. We have never been more empowered to create them with modern technology. I’ll DM you!
Have you written about it anywhere yet? Would love to learn more. Very intrigued.
This is phenomenal. I’m fully inspired. I’ve been threatening a break from this vortex we call a phone. This might just be the push I need.
Thank you Alice for the kind words! Do it!! Even just for a while. If it makes you feel better, you'll be so motivated to figure out a more nourishing relationship with it.
Super helpful. I'm considering giving up my WHOOP bracelet after three years of continuous use. And I just got the Brick device to help keep me off my phone. It's not perfect, but it's better than overriding my screen time limit password regularly. This post helps give me the courage to keep going!
Wow, I hadn't heart of the brick device! That's smart. I'll be curious to hear how you like using it. I agree, screen time limits did little for me. The best interrupter for me is still to leave the phone at home when I go to certain places, or leave it in another room while working. Out of sight, out of mind!
😎 cool 😎
Thanks Jason 🙏
This was lovely - thank you for sharing so meaningfully. I feel very similarly 🙏
Thank you dear Anna 🙏
When I went off social media and ALL scrolling for a couple weeks, I found after the first few days, I started to twitch! Like a junkie. This made me realize how the addiction is "chemical", similar to how people get addicted to drugs or other substances and it's this kind of adrenaline you get addicted to. Very scary, and made me realize that it needs to be treated like a real addiction. Great post!
Oh wow but 100% yes we should treat it as such. It should have a warning label. For me it's always shocking when I make an intention to pick my phone up less (not even to scroll but mostly check emails or to do list) - and noticing how I reach for it in EVERY free second, compulsively avoiding to do "nothing" in the little moments between the day. What am I looking for in there??? It is a dangerous social experiment we're running...
I want to be friends with you in real life. (This article is gold, thank you)
Thank you Tiffany!! Best compliment. Where do you live? You're not in California by any chance? 😊
I live in NW Arkansas 😳 But I have a sister in California and fly that direction! 😉
I have the same feeling when I read Julia’s posts.
this is the kindest thing you could say.... i always wonder how to meet more people I can relate to, maybe we'll need a zoom hang or something the likes
I’m down for meeting up by zoom. What (if anything) would you like to know about me to decide if you’d want to?
Oh this is so great, I needed these reminders!
Thanks Eliza! Why do we keep forgetting 😅
I love your writing. Thank you for your commitment to using your personal journey as a gift to us all. ❤️
Thanks so much for the kind words, Clive. Means a lot!
What a brilliant deep dive - thank you, Julia!
Thanks, Eva! Hope all is well!!
Hi Julia.
Your article is on point! And wow!... how great that you deleted the accounts for a while! That‘s powerful!
To me, part of why I switched to Substack is rooted in the frustration with the short-form social media platforms. It is much nicer to read full-lenght blogposts with actual food for thought like back in the day. Glad I discovered the Journey.
Hi Katie, thanks so much! Glad to have you here. I feel similar about Substack. Are you on the app and using Notes, too? That part of Substack is technically social media but somehow it feels materially different. I’m currently embracing it more, but monitoring how it impacts me.
I am not on the app (yet). For now, I am easing into this new long content format thing.
But I might try it sometime soon;)
the mind very naturally enters the state of hypnosis when we are scrolling, and/or focused on a screen. ads that resonate land as hypnotic suggestions, to be acted upon by your conscious, thinking mind, which is offline and blissed out by the deluge of hormones activated by the doom scroll 😵💫
Wow that’s an interesting (and scary) perspective 😫
I am new to your substack and this article clarifies dopamine as "pleasure in my head" vs "pleasure where I am." It's an insight I hadn't been introduced to about dopamine. I will try to monitor my experiences. I definitely have a scowling habit that is taking over (especially since covid plus recovery from a motorcycle accident.)
I came to your stack due to my interest in integration and look forward to your writings on the topic. In recent weeks I have found microdosing mushrooms the best approach to finding "pleasure where I am." ... I would delve into other articles about this if you have references or perhaps ideas for future articles. I will search through your posts for related pieces. The footnote links to this article didn't lead me in this direction.
thank you for the insight and inspiration. I
Do you have any insight or references about the immediate effects of THC, the flights of blood thumbing ideation as conditioning for scrolling? I hadn't connected them before but now I do.
Welcome here, Neil! Yes, mushrooms can help so much with cultivating presence. I've written a bit about microdosing here: https://juliachristina.substack.com/p/this-weeks-travels-an-introduction
I'm not sure I fully understand your question about THC. Could you rephrase perhaps?
No way! I love that so much