Distraction Detox

Last night I deleted all the social media apps from my phone. No more Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or Snapchat. I also deleted the myriad apps that have been feeding my online shopping habit: Amazon, Birchbox, Modcloth, even the various food delivery apps I've somehow accumulated.

I unsubscribed from three of the four Buzzfeed newsletters to which I was subscribed. I'll allow myself Buzzfeed News, but the DIY, animals and food letters were only serving as frivolous distractions - quick hits of mindless consumption to pass the time and help me avoid feeling bored, anxious or depressed.

The lists of cute animals might be harmless enough (except for the deteriorating effect such listicles inevitably have on one's attention span), but the other two tend to lead to unnecessary purchases and/or feed my fixation on food.

Lastly, I unsubscribed from copious amounts of retailer emails. Most of these are fashion or beauty related, and they are very successful in getting me to purchase clothes, shoes, makeup and items for the home that I don't really need.

The issue isn't just the money I'm spending. It's my growing discomfort with the way I'm being manipulated by the evil geniuses of Silicon Valley, who have enabled savvy marketers everywhere to push the precise combination of buttons that make me, personally, want to consume all the things, all the time.

I detest being manipulated. In fact, I quit smoking when I was in my early twenties purely out of spite for the tobacco industry's ability to raise prices, knowing their addicted consumers would continue to buy. I hated that I was a puppet far more than I hated wasting money or harming my body.

I don't know if this is a permanent change. I'm starting with a goal of a week. I just want to feel better. I want a reprieve from the deluge of information, the competing bids for my attention, the chaos and noise of millions of voices that all add up to a feeling that I'm constantly missing out. I want peace. I want to regain some control over my impulses and some insight into my motivations. And lastly, I'm hoping the absence of short-form sharing platforms will prompt me to write more thoughtfully and thoroughly about my experiences.

Wish me luck. Damn the man. Save the empire, etc, etc.