This is a status update for my ongoing Internet Consumption Reset.
A few years ago, I deleted my Instagram account. I had started using it quite early and I still remember how the old retro design looked like. I used it for everything you can imagine, from chatting and posting pictures to consuming random content. When I deleted it, I thought my life would drastically improve and, to be completely honest, it didn’t—at least not right away. In hindsight, it was probably one of the best decisions I made at that time and I would do it again. However, there’s no magic wand that you can use to make you happy and satisfied with life. It takes hard work and small steps until your mind starts to change in the “right” direction.
I believe the same is true for this internet consumption reset. I knew I wouldn’t just instantly feel better, but I’m glad that I decided to do this. After three days, I noticed I was far less inclined to just check my phone or randomly open Twitter. This reflex for instant gratification is going away, and to me, that’s a huge success.
I haven’t modified the deny list for now. I did notice that I check The Verge’s website maybe once a day, but I don’t consider it problematic. That’s is because it doesn’t have an infinite scroll, and I usually check it only once per day.