good morning Hank it's Tuesday so my
internet isn't working I don't mean that
like the wireless in this house is
unreliable I mean I wish it were more
unreliable because I don't like the way
I'm using the Internet or more to the
point I don't like the way the Internet
is using me wait hold on I have to go
vote and done I even got a sticker ok
back to the house right so I spent
something like 20 hours a week on
Facebook reddit Instagram Twitter and
most of that time I'm scrolling swiping
clicking scanning skimming my attention
has become extremely fractured and I
feel this constant pull toward checking
refreshing and refreshing as if
something truly fresh is just over the
horizon I also don't like the way
passively ingesting information on the
Internet makes me feel but on the other
hand I can't stop doing it Hank you said
on Twitter a few days ago that you love
coca-cola
but wish it didn't exist and that's how
I feel about Twitter like I really
believe that my attention is all I have
and I'm very uncomfortable with the way
that social internet companies have
hacked my brain to capture that
attention and monetize it none of which
is to say that Facebook reddit Instagram
Twitter are like capital be bad or
whatever I just think my brain is
unusually susceptible to being hacked
not least because I have a mental health
disorder that predisposes me toward
repetitive checking and circular thought
in fact I think lots of people are able
to use Facebook reddit Instagram Twitter
in ways that are productive and
fulfilling and that those platforms
connect us to each other and allow more
people to have a voice in public
discourse also for whatever reason I
don't have a terrible relationship with
other social media platforms like here
on YouTube for instance I'm able to be
fairly intentional about what I watch
and participate in the community in ways
that make me happy so yeah I'm not
trying to say that your internet isn't
working or that the internet isn't
working only that my internet isn't
working I have two problems first I
don't have like the willpower to resist
the allure of Facebook reddit Instagram
Twitter and secondly the corporations
that run the social Internet are not
incentivized to provide me with
information that is accurate or helpful
they are incentivized to provide me with
information that will hold my attention
and keep me on their platform while I
ingest advertising and in my case the
information that holds my attention best
is that which shocks and/or appalls
and/or fascinates me like a horrifying
story breaks and I keep refreshing and
refreshing looking for new facts but
facts take time to establish and I can't
wait so instead I skimmed through
speculation and guesswork and hot
all of which fills me without nourishing
me the social Internet companies are
happy because they've received and
monetized many hours of my attention but
I don't think the world is better and
more to the point I don't think my life
is better longtime viewers of
vlogbrothers will know that this is
something I've struggled with for a
while I started my podcast the
anthropocene reviewed in an attempt to
pay more sustained and careful attention
I post much less frequently than I used
to on Facebook reddit Instagram Twitter
but I still spend huge swathes of time
there and all my attempts to go on an
information diet or dumb down my phone
have failed so I'm gonna take a year off
I'm gonna block Facebook reddit
Instagram Twitter from my web browsers
and I'm gonna find a way to truly dumb
down my phone so I literally cannot
access these platforms that are
occupying so much of my attention and
perhaps most radically I'm gonna get my
news from something called newspapers
and during this year I'm not gonna ask
someone to post on my behalf I just want
to see how it feels
not to be in those places I'm gonna
start next month when the project for
awesome ends but here on YouTube things
will be pretty much the same still a
vlogbrothers video every week I'm
actually hosting more crash course next
year which will be fun so I'll still be
around in fact hopefully with my
attention less fractured I'll be more
present in the places that matter the
most to me I'm so fortunate that this
community continues to be a really
lovely and fulfilling place for me to
hang out and I hope you feel the same
way
so yeah I'll be here I just you know
won't be in some of the other places I'd
be interested to hear from any of you
who've tried a version of this or if you
have any tips for me I look forward as
always to continuing the conversation
and comments Hank
don't forget to be a voter I'll see you
tomorrow