Ink to Blog

Avoiding short form content will not always work

It's a never-ending cycle. I notice that I waste too much time scrolling on my smartphone. I reach a point where I want to change my behavior with long-lasting success. For some time I succeed to follow the rule I have set for myself to not waste 1 minute mindlessly doom-scrolling. The change in behavior focuses on things I consume. I get to do useful things like reading or creating something. Even watching interesting YouTube videos falls into that category. Then there comes a point where I fall prey to my own laziness. I begin to waste my time on the phone again and get frustrated with myself for it. I convinced myself that I can't do anything against it. After some time, I notice my behavior again. I want to improve. The cycle repeats.

Last week I had a phase where everything was running smoothly. I read a lot of good articles on my e-reader and was focused on choosing "good" entertainment for myself. Then there came this moment again where reading temporarily felt like a chore. But this time I wrestled more with myself. I knew that I shouldn't waste time on my smartphone, but I just wanted to relax and not use my brain too much. The decision came much more self-determined. So I opened Reddit and threw my good intentions overboard.

It was no impulsive act, but a deliberate decision based on my state of mind. Other activities didn't fit my mood and were just no match for my energy level.

Friction

Even with an easy setup, getting your content from the Indie Web and reading it will always have more friction than other forms of content. Nothing is as easy to consume as a feed specifically designed to keep you hooked. Posts are easy to understand and digest with barely any investment required. In my RSS feed, however, there is more friction. I have to scan for relevant and interesting articles; some can be long, some can be short like a tweet. Few want to grab my attention with a flashy title; sometimes I have to dig deeper, click on the article, check if it is something I want to read later. There are gems hidden and you have to dig them up. The reading itself has the most friction compared to short form content. You have to concentrate to understand an interesting piece, giving it your full attention. It's more like reading a book. This will always introduce more friction than scrolling through a feed and letting the content do the work for you.

Sometimes I just want to be entertained. For that not even good intentions help. I know what would be good for me and yet I decide against it because it is not something I really want at that point in time. Maybe trying to resist is enough for now. To withstand most of the time, but to not hate myself if I take the easy way out for a short period. Every type of content has its place and time, even stupid and easy to digest entertainment.