Social media has ruined my concentration and changed my personality.

[ADHD89]

To think that social media, Instagram, Tiktok, YouTube, Facebook ,Mumsnet , Reddit , Chatgpt, etc have totally ruined my concentration span and now make reading/concentrating on a book or a movie really unappealing and uninteresting ?
I am much more interested in watching 2 minute reels, then reading through comments, and basically finding out about all sorts of topics and going down rabbit holes etc. I also enjoy reading dilemmas on Facebook groups and on mumsnet and seeing what people say. I also use Chatgpt alot as like a regular counsellor.
It makes me sad as I used to be such a book lover when I was younger and I watched about 4 or 5 movies at the weekend when I was younger..its like I've completely changed involuntarily.
Anyone else feel the same?

Same OP. I loved reading but over the last few years, I really struggle to read a book or magazine, I struggle to concentrate on anything that requires more than a few minutes of concentration! I'm mid 50s and though it was just brain fog/menopause but now I'm not so sure.

I find if I'm doing something creative with my hands, such as painting or knitting, that stops the urge to look at my phone almost completely.

@MaltLoaf27
How/why are you on MN then?
sorry i don’t mean that to sound snippy!

Honestly, same. Set yourself time limits on your phone - even better, get rid of them completely. If you really can't do that, then the time limits are really helpful. I allow myself 15 minutes per day on Facebook and Instagram, and it allows me to sit and read, or watch a film, or go for a walk, without being tempted to get my phone out. It makes a huge difference!

Look up this author. She explains it! Susan Greenfield.

https://amzn.eu/d/0gjMBR30

I got back into reading lots by putting my phone on black and white mode, as colour increases the dopamine hits, and I hid the apps I found addictive, so I have to put my password in before opening them, because I found I was opening them on autopilot without even thinking. Also spending more time outdoors in the fresh air.

I also bought a Kindle, which give a bit of a phone-like dopamine hit, and started by rereading something I remembered loving, and then reading fast moving, fairly short books.

Also, get your eyes tested! Reading is harder than doom scrolling if you need glasses or a stronger prescription.

Our brains are massively adaptable and you can totally turn this round. Make successive small changes.

I spend far too much time on my phone - but can still devour a good book - especially if im
on holiday - I have kindle unlimited and am a quick reader so manage a book a day for a pool or beach holiday - at home only read much on a weekend so maybe 2 books a month

I found this book an interesting read. It’s pretty basic but a good starting point to help figure how move forward (not that I’ve mastered it yet!)

www.amazon.co.uk/DOSE-Effect-bestseller-potential-neuroscientists/dp/0008667292/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1TA1K4ZCWVXWQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.66wZgJMzjs3LNKcxsN1oVbTnGJV908Pf3hn3ElrvPXncEz5h6a5H9S23aCr_HaoO-nUMz9R2CzsU2bHOh8-yXV1P0MlEEwHJukE5Fubtb5rHkeYGrjhNR_j92gd_ZklkjmdCSmpp6S9qsWhz5ZBu8RE4T4Jd2DFmxDwpHwqbwfSvWAORKSCMQXbT77uFc-hggH-FxY6uGrB7Eo-vHQoNuA.yY0nwLozuw1dcg_HdDrbMUkTs65C5C0qTcoBndgnhvg&dib_tag=se&keywords=dose+effect+book&qid=1775857727&sprefix=dose+%2Caps%2C273&sr=8-1

I've got better in recent years.
Blackberries/ smartphones came out in my baby/ night feeds/ toddler stage of life and the years of tiredness took a toll on my attention span for reading anyway. In late pregnancy with my first, I'd wake hourly in pain and lost the ability to read books or even multi-page spreads in magazines in the last couple of weeks. Content on a backlit device that could be held in one hand and easily picked up/ down suited that stage of life. I was a bit late to the smartphone party so my DCs were about 4/ 2 when I did get a smartphone so that held of their exposure. Sometimes it's good to be slightly luddite

A few years ago I started using the time at DCs' activities to read without the distraction of being at home, and getting some reliable blocks of reading time in helped me to pick up books again at home. This week I've been on A/L and have read over 1000 pages of two books, one I've read previously and the other the new sequal that follows on so I've been reading in the past month to get that trilogy fresh in my head for completion. Prior to that I'd use time at one activity to sew the scouting badges and had a portable sewing kit for that so could get through 3-4 badges in an hour.

I don't watch many videos on my phone and tend to watch longer youtube on the TV which feels more intentional. I watch little short-form content. MN is my big time-sink but at least it's usually decently written and in paragraphs.

To reclaim attention span, you need to make it more easy and appealing to not be distracted. The teenagers at work are often stunned that I'm happy to go 8 hours without looking at my phone at work. It's a habit I'm used to. My family know to contact the office for an emergency so there's nothing pressing that means I need to check it.

Absolutely.

I bought an old fashioned flip phone with the intention of not having a smartphone but realised how much I used my smartphone day to day....to pay for parking on the apps, to check in electronically at work etc...and couldn't survive without sadly.

Yanbu

Same and I'm sad about it.

Me too op 😢

If you. and many others it seems, have this problem and you know it's you're own fault then surely you have the ability to cure it by stepping away from excessive SM use.

Yes, for me it started more during lockdown. I was working at home but really busy. Then in the evenings scrolling through various platforms, reading the news etc to keep up with what was going on. Just got into the habit of constantly having phone in hand. It’s definitely not helped my concentration along with perimenopause. I want to change but it takes a lot of effort and I’m just so tired! I did read a book the other week though.

I can’t get over how much better at therapy I find Chatgpt than actual therapists. Did not see that coming.

Maybe that shows that MN doesn't need much effort, it's fairly mindless, whereas reading and comprehending need effort!
I use my Kindle a lot to read, especially in bed, and I drive myself mad going to the Internet facility to check things I've read, eg Is that a real place, restaurant etc..

A bit of an aside, but, I hope you are renewing your library books to avoid a fine; or does that not happen any more? To my shame I have not borrowed a book from a library for decades!

I have found that since MN has broken for me on my phone and iPad, it keeps freezing up, it has helped no end as I can only use it on my iMac so I have to get up and sit at the table to use it so no scrolling in front of the telly.

Yes, i am the same. Its entirely my own fault. I am in control of what I choose to watch and I've let it get to this point. Nobody to blame but myself. I could retrain myself if I chose to.

I'm still going to scroll through YouTube shorts of cute cat videos in bed tonight instead of reading pride and prejudice though.

Yep am exactly the the same. Keep trying to change but struggling. So following here for tips and inspiration.

For me, it's mostly with Mumsnet at night after putting dcs to bed..haha!

This is why I worry so much for kids on phones and aocial media l, and mine will not be allowed anything but a brick phone to 16,maybe starting from 11ish..

My daughter is ao creative and doing endless stuff that does not involve a screen and I'd be so sad to see that change..

Im trying at least to not use my phone much around DCs.. but after bedtime I cannot bloody put it down unless im engrossed in a TV programme!

Pile of about 10 books sitting next to bed..I used to love novels!

It's awful.

I stopped watching short form stuff about 6 weeks ago because of this. If it’s less than 5 mins I try not to watch it now.

Am also trying more to focus on just one thing. But had less success with that. So I can be on the phone/check SM but if I’m doing that, that’s the thing I am focused on. I’m not doing it while doing something else.

I never got into Insta TikTok Snap etc because I didn't understand the point and I recognised that they were not good systems and I didn't want to have these apps pinging at me all day.

Luckily I have kept the worst off FB and Twitter. I have turned off notifications for both.
I make myself read the newspaper (online ofc) before I go on social media.

I still struggle to read a book for a long time, but I do read every day, and really, honestly it's not irreversible and if you actually want to do something about it then you can

Digital detox / diet (doesn't have to be nothing)
Limit your SM time
Read more
No screen time after 9/10pm

These behaviours are addictive so I don't judge anyone getting caught up in it, but I believe you can overcome them and I do judge (privately, in my mind I mean!) people who recognise the problem and don't try to change like my DH

I think it’s good you are saying this op, and we need to talk about it more. Look what it has done to us, and we are giving these devices to children? I think we are in a ‘big tobacco’ moment and in future we will be horrified how we let this happen to us and our children.

I think we can push back! We can get together and send a message to governments and big business, that we don’t want every little task to be digitally based. Even an accountability thread, like the weight loss boards…trouble is, we’d need to go on our phones to talk to each other about our progress 😂

Yes I hardly read now and used to devour books. I scroll phone while watching tv too which annoys me but I still do it. Over the winter I started going to the cinema most weeks so I watch a film properly without looking my phone which is good.

I used to be able to do work out videos on YouTube on their own. Now I get bored and need to watch a second screen to get me through. 🫣