Addicted To Time Wasting Stupid Shit On The Internet

[retardedhorse1]

Hello everyone,

now this is just me realizing how i have been for years and still am wasting pretty much 80 percent of my time on social media, on youtube, looking at stupid cat videos, going on random video sprees for hours, fucking netflix, facebook again etc etc.

Im so sick of this and i totally see how all of this bullshit has just a temporary numbing effect because i often dont know what to do with myself.

I am meditating and im working out and studying psychology at university and these  things are awesome, yet there is so much free time that im completely wasting.

I dont want to sound arrogant, but i really i have some talents, and i wish i had the motivation to use that potential but its just not there.I have kind of accepted that it makes no sense to force these things...but still.

I kind of feel like i have no long term perspective, nothing im really working on or developing(except meditation/working out) and i feel a strong need for something meaningfull to identify with.Im very aware that all of this is egoic bullshit but im frankly not at a stage yet where i could drop it.

The point is, i need to stop this toxic behavior and replace it with something thats actually fullfilling...but how should i go about this?

I would really appreciate your thoughts on this! Thank you!

[Allinthemind]

Switch it off and be prepared to make the effort to change this. You are right, your short term perspective is jusified with procrastination. Refresh your motive, visualise and meditate with it. Identify any triggers that would help e.g. would a social commitment encourage you to participate? Be prepared to generate some self-initiated adrenaline to get you moving.

[Extreme Z7]

You and me both, buddy. Although, it's a lot easier than you think if you just pursue the present moment.

[Space]

I've managed to cut down my internet time quite considerably over the past few months. It's something i'm still working on though. Here my advice:

Shutdown all of your social media accounts. You don't have the close the accounts completely, but just delete everything that's on the account (friends, pictures etc). That way theres no reason to go on to them. I did it a few weeks back and its awesome! Social media is the ultimate waste of time unless its being used for a business or to share your creative work or something. At the very least, cut your friends list down to your closest friends (2-5 people).

Not sure if this applies to you but I'd also recommend deleting any bookmarks you have on your browser i.e. quick ways to access websites. It sounds simple but i've broken the habit of going on so many stupid websites just by doing that. 

As far as Youtube goes, cut your subscription list down to like 3-5 people. Again, I cut down my internet usage massively by doing this. 

I'm not sure I can think of any other suggestions other than just develop the habit of being tough and strict with yourself. Sometimes when I get the urge to go onto the internet, i'll just sit there and observe the feeling without any judgment. That works really well - just being aware.

Also try replacing your internet time with something else. Buy a load of books! This has worked great for me. I've replaced a massive chunk of my internet time with reading. Buy e-books! If you want to be productive but not do anything at the same time, listen to audio books - non-fiction of course. A load of the books on Leo's booklist are in audiobook form so check those out.

And lastly i'd say that if you are gonna spend lots of time on the internet, spend it wisely! Listen to lectures and talks (i'd recommend people like Terrence McKenna or Alan Watts) about philosophy, spirituality, science etc. Watch documentaries. Read interesting articles. Just cut out all of the TV shows, the random videos on Youtube etc. If you do find yourself on a Youtube binge, watching random stuff that isn't gonna do anything for you, then just be aware of that. Be aware! Notice what you're doing. Stop and 'look' at the situation. There has been so many times where i've caught myself mid-binge and just thought "What the fuck am I doing?", and then gone to read or just sit silently doing nothing. 

Hope this helps!

 

[Pramit]

just be aware and don't be hard on yourself if you fail to keep yourself in check. 

I use "stay focused" which is an app for google chrome, to block sites that are potentially time wasting. I also use a application called cold turkey to ban certain websites. 

Your brain is amazing at justifying short term activity that will make you feel good. This is going to be a uphill battle. I guess you just want to be aware of the role feelings play when you rationalize short term activity, or be aware when you don't think too much before you click on something. 

[retardedhorse1]

Thanks everybody! i will work on this for sure !

[Schulzy]

I don't think shutting it off from one day to another is going to really work unless you have extremely strong will power. What you have to do is start cutting it off slowly and replacing it with doing something productive, like for example studying psychology, working out or just learning something new on the internet. 

[Bob84]

Stupid cat videos are amazing.

Why make excuses for things you like to do, on top of that, to whom are you making those excuses?

I must do this cause this is better, i must do that cause that is better, because of this and that and this and that.
Who are you talking to?
At first it might not look like it, but this is mental masturbation at its finest.

Stop thinking and just do, its so easy. You do it all the time.

[Key Elements]

On 11/11/2016 at 7:17 AM, retardedhorse1 said:

I dont want to sound arrogant, but i really i have some talents, and i wish i had the motivation to use that potential but its just not there.I have kind of accepted that it makes no sense to force these things...but still.

Of course you have talents. Everyone does. Why is it considered arrogant to say it? I think the label of 'arrogant' is arrogant.

You could take baby steps to bring out your talents. For instance, if you are a writer, write 1-2 sentences to a paragraph a day. It adds up very quickly. Enjoy the journey. There isn't really a goal. Goal is actually a milestone. It's only a vision. Everything is a fiction except the journey.

[DimmedBulb]

Buy Cold Turkey, lock off the internet except the websites you need for work. Do this on a schedule, which is an option and then lock said schedule for a week at a time. I allow myself 1 hour of free internet usage every 3 hours and free usage after 6. I went from 16 hours of internet usage a day to 7 hours a day by doing this and it's only getting better.

Do the same with your phone by getting AppDetox and another app with which you can lock AppDetox and prevent it from being deleted through a password you let someone else create. You'd need to lock settings otherwise you're gonna be able to force stop the program and remove it from your phone anyway. You can make that app work so that if you take 100 steps, you get 10 seconds of unrestricted app time, but also just set time limits for throughout the day.

[Bob84]

@DimmedBulb What do you do with the cold turkey after you buy it?

[DimmedBulb]

@Bob84 Clementine up the butt, olive oil, in the oven.

[sgn]

@retardedhorse1 https://freedom.to/ very good app

[Schulzy]

I just noticed your username is retarded horse 1 lmao.

[retardedhorse1]

3 hours ago, Schulzy said:

I just noticed your username is retarded horse 1 lmao.