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YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG ! Stop consuming social media content

All of the information you consume—what you read, watch, and learn—can be divided into three categories: useful information, balanced information, and entertaining information. To think smarter, more clearly, and more intelligently, consume more valuable information—while throwing in some entertaining information, lest you turn yourself into an information-munching robot.

The quality and content of the information we consume matters. It influences pretty much every part of who we are, including:

  • what we think about,

  • how we think,

  • what we pay attention to in the world around us,

  • what we notice,

  • the quality of our decisions,

  • how intelligently we work,

  • the richness of our personal lives,

  • how many ideas we come up with,

  • how much we consider other people in our actions and decisions.

Generally speaking , when it comes to what we consume, practicality does not always equal entertainment.

To illustrate this, we can chop the above chart up into a few slices, which have varying levels of usefulness and entertainment value:


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Useful information is typically highly-useful, but not very entertaining. A few examples: books, journal articles, online courses, and academic conversations. Information in this category is actionable, accurate, and typically remains relevant for a long time.

Balanced information is slightly less helpful, but more entertaining, so it’s easier to consume. A few examples: documentaries, TED talks, and popular psychology books.

The final third—which contains both entertaining and trashy information—contains entertaining content that’s still a bit useful (and highly-entertaining), and also information that’s trashier, which we often consume in large doses. Some examples of information in these categories: many YouTube videos, some podcasts, romance novels, late night talk show clips, and our social media feeds.

Every single thing you consume falls into one of these categories. Useful information is usually worth taking in when you have the most energy; balanced information is great for when you have a bit less energy (but still want to feel like you’re accomplishing something); entertaining information is fun for when you want to veg out. Trashy information is probably worth consuming less of—and plus, there are far better ways to recharge.

Control your consumpsion:

Habit #1: Don’t look for what you need at a place that doesn’t have it

Let’s say the consumer on a mission to purchase a fancy soap dispenser was “subscribed” to Target, just as someone could be subscribed to an email list.

While she was at Target, she could browse what the store actually offers, rather than look for something she probably wouldn’t find there.

So, to clarify and strengthen your content consumption strategy, make a list of your subscriptions with brief notes about the value you get from each.

If one consistently doesn’t meet your expectations, determine if you get different benefits from that publication or if it’s time to give it up.

Our Target shopper likely got other items she needed during her visit, but if she always went to Target looking for something “fancy” and left empty-handed, she’d likely stop going there.


Habit #2: Unsubscribe from content you ignore

This step addresses all of those emails you open and delete quickly.

Yes, it only takes a couple seconds each time, but those seconds add up to minutes — and it’s beautiful when the emails never even enter your inbox.

Unsubscribe to emails or newsletters with advice you haven’t put into practice in the last six months.

Sometimes you like a certain publication and hope you’ll get something useful when it sends out updates. But if you haven’t acted on the content in an email or newsletter in the last six months, it’s probably not worth your time anymore.

By unsubscribing, you clear space to find new publications that you would actually engage with on a regular basis. More on that below.

Habit #3: Let go of content you disagree with

Ah, content you love to hate.

It could be a guilty pleasure or unicorn vomit that makes you twitch.

Remember that it doesn’t help you or anyone else if you leave a website fuming with the sentiment: “I’m right, and the other person is wrong.”

“The internet is big. There are a lot of people here. And they come in all shapes and sizes. Whatever your beliefs, your values, or your peculiar interests are, you can find a group that shares them.”

Publications you don’t resonate with aren’t going to change their content. Click away from them.

Habit #4: Reduce distractions

If you ever catch yourself saying:

“I’d like to do that, but I just don’t have time.”

… it’s a great opportunity for you to dissect that statement.

  • Would you actually like to do that activity, or are you just saying you would because you think it’s something you should do?

  • If the new opportunity does interest you, what are you doing instead?

  • Can you reduce the amount of time you spend on other things?

After you get clear on what you want, it’s easier to spot the speed bumps that slow down your journey.

For instance, if you “don’t have time” to learn something new, could you reduce your social media time and replace it with practical, transformative education?

Distractions can be fun, and they’re sometimes necessary for stress relief or creativity boosts, but make sure they don’t keep you from accomplishing your goals.

Now, review how much time you can save with different content consumption habits. Even if you only find an extra 10 minutes in your day, you can choose to spend those 10 minutes on something new.

Perhaps reading fiction you love every day helps you do better work. Maybe it’s the 10 minutes you’ve needed to start meditating.

Research different resources during your newfound time, or simply rest and recharge.

In short :

So what can we do with this knowledge?

There are countless ways you can do this. For example, you can:

  • Get things to bid for your attention. See the descriptions of audiobooks, podcasts, and TV shows as pitches for your time and attention. Are they worth the time you’ll put into them?

  • Think of a few valuable things to add to what you consume. What’s a skill you haven’t developed in a while? What’s a topic you’ve always been curious about? Could you learn about it instead of scrolling through your social media feeds?

  • Notice what you consume on autopilot mode, without thinking. This is usually when we consume the least valuable information.

  • Consume what you care about, that few other people do. For example, I love reading journal articles about productivity. While this is admittedly a weird fascination, I find that it gives me an edge—few other people find these journal articles entertaining. As a general rule, it’s worth building upon knowledge and skills that you uniquely care about.

  • Veg out intentionally. You’d become a robot if you only consumed useful information. To enjoy vegging out a bit more—like the next time you sit down to watch a bunch of episodes of your favorite Netflix show—do so intentionally. Plan out how many episodes of the show you’ll watch, what you’ll eat when you do, who you’ll invite over to watch, and so on. You won’t just have a better time, you’ll also feel less guilty about it.



 
 
 

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