Is Attention Really All Thats Needed?
It’s no secret that social media companies strive to maximize time spent in their apps—in other words, how much attention we give them. Whether it’s the infinite scroll or endless notifications, these platforms are built to keep us engaged, often at the expense of our focus, productivity, and well-being.
I’ve always been curious about how people defend themselves against these attention-grabbing algorithms. Do you have systems in place to protect your time and mental energy? Do you rely on self-discipline, or do you use screen-time control apps like Atten, AppBlock, Jomo, Opal, or something else?
But here’s a bigger question I’d love your input on: If we all agree you shouldn’t go grocery shopping on an empty stomach, should using screen time control apps become a hard-and-fast rule for our devices? In a world where attention is commoditized, could having these apps enabled by default be as essential as locking your doors at night?
I’d love to hear your thoughts:
- Do you find these apps genuinely helpful?
- What strategies do you use to avoid falling prey to social media algorithms?
- Should screen time control tools be a standard part of our digital lives, or do they just address the symptoms of a bigger problem?I have, for example, a "rule" that I only go on FB on Sundays. I occasionally break it, but the longer I have it, the less tempting it is to do so. The number one thing that helps with this is that I keep all social media apps off of my phone.
In order to do this, I never use social media apps for business/career communication. This also helps with keeping non-work hours as non-work.
I second keeping social media apps off your mobile device, including the likes of YouTube. You'll find your checking habit significantly drop.
For a lot of people this is not possible, as they don't own another device. An alternative option is to turn on the "face down, go into silent mode" on your mobile device to keep it from nagging you.