attention span
Earlier this year, I deleted Instagram from my phone. It didn’t work. I tried something different and deleted the app again but allowed myself unlimited access through the laptop. I’d hoped this was supposed to be a temporary way to wean off Instagram every few mins.
It worked. The friction of opening a browser instead of looking at my phone was high enough that I stopped checking altogether.
It was only after a few months that I realized something had changed. I started reading more long form articles, essays, research papers, books, magazines etc. Felt like my brain craved information but instead of reels it was from different sources. Reading didn’t feel like work and my instinct to mindlessly scroll social media disappeared.
I’ve probably read more in the last six months than I did in my previous decades combined.