Content Consumption and Self-Discipline
Consume what is right for you in right proportions
I am still trying to figure out the rhythm between my job, my reading writing routine and other admin stuff of my life. In the slots where I can fit my reading or writing part, recently I just pick up my phone and start endless social media scrolling. I am not sure, how to break this pattern, but I am trying with you today.
What it is that social media offers that makes us slaves of our phones? Some say, it offers a hit of dopamine every time we see something that makes us happy. But it is not just happiness we get, instead we get a range of emotions based on the content we are watching. I follow some of my favorite writers and artists on my social media and love to see their work. Some people give me motivation towards my writing and some people give me validation on things I wanna create or life I wanna live, that it is possible. They both sound like a decent way of using social media. The validation part might be up for discussion, but I believe we all need some sort of validation when we are doubting ourselves, our vision, our purpose and on somedays life itself.
There is also a part of me who watches content creators talking about makeup, skincare, fitness, mental wellbeing, psychology, astrology, human design, travel, love, breakup, friendship, solitude, healing your traumas and patterns, food recipes and what not. I am not gonna deny some of them are really good. But do I needed all the content I have just consumed? Would I miss something in life, if I would have not watched the last reel, I just watched? We don’t even know what we are looking for and we just consume whatever the algorithm thinks we would need today. In times I think when social media was not there, people used to find and connect to people who are experts in the topics they are looking for guidance. Now you just think of a subject and can find all of the content ready for you to consume. So, with other disadvantages of social media, it has also taken away some reasons to connect to other human.
It is very weird times we all are living now. You can experience all sort of emotions like not being enough, joy, sadness, jealousy, shame, anxiety etc by just looking at your phone. When you keep your phone down, you feel tired and agitated. Just to numb yourself to those hard emotions, you will pick the phone again. That’s how we will be stuck in a loop where not many are gaining something substantial. There is no rule that this much consumption is bad or this is all good. You decide what content and how much of that content is good for you. It’s a self-discipline thing, same as going for a walk daily for your physical health and journaling for your mental health.
Lots of love and healing,
Harneek