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How do you utilize the benefits of social media without getting hooked? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.
Answer by Nir Eyal, Author of "Hooked" and "Indistractable",, on Quora:
One of the more popular things to do right now is demonize social media platforms and companies. They’re all distractions! These platforms are rotting our brains! I tend not to take such a black-and-white view of social media and similar technologies. They are what we make them to be; their effect depends on our use.
For me, I enjoy seeing what’s going on with friends and family on platforms like Instagram and Facebook, and I’ve learned a lot through watching videos on YouTube. Social media platforms have helped my written work reach new audiences, and I like to think some of that has helped people improve their lives and build better products.
The difference between my use of these technologies today and my use of them years ago is that I’ve blocked time off during my day, a portion of my schedule I label “social media time.” Why does that matter? Because it means I’ve made a conscious choice to spend time on these platforms. I’m not just browsing unthinkingly or uncritically, pulling my attention away from my work or daughter. No, what I’ve done instead is to block time off so that I can browse guilt-free. That way, social media becomes something I’m not using to avoid another activity; it becomes the activity itself.
It also means, invariably, that I end up using these platforms less. Because I know I have time later to browse, I can quietly say to myself, “Don’t check Facebook now. Do it when the time comes.” And all those distraction battles fought-and-won add up to a lot less time on social media, and a lot more time doing the things that matter most to me.
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