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?

You're not unreasonable that social media is making us stupid. And unfortunately, using LLMs will require us to be LESS stupid, in order to get what need from it, and assess the veracity of responses and understand how to get the most from it - as per this book https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/475950/how-to-talk-to-ai-by-bartlett-jamie/9780753561980 (interview with him on Intelligence Squared podcast for those who can no longer manage a book 😂).

I have deleted my accounts on twitter and FB. Never had any others apart from here, and I try not to comment so I am not tempted to check back. I have read/listened to 2+ books a month so far this year. But even then, when I am tired, I reach for my phone... make it stop!

Its the UPF of the mind.

Same here, I don’t even have the attention span to read this whole thread! I need a detox badly, even in work if something is challenging or difficult I drift towards my phone.

It frightens me how much time i’m wasting mindlessly scrolling watching/reading useless content when I could be doing other things.

I actually find the opposite. Reading a good book makes me realise how boring and inane social media is.

I could have written your post
i used to spend hours reading a book without stopping to eat. Now I can barely read a book for more than a few minutes without losing concentration
I honestly feel that I have become less intelligent

I get through a book per week on my kindle unlimited. Mind you I leave my phone charging downstairs at night. I deleted everything except fb (but don’t interact with it apart from some interest groups) and MN. Never had instagram.
Probably still spend too much time on my phone but leave it in the kitchen as much as possible. Out today so good company on train journeys.

Well stop using social media then ...before you turn into a vegetable.

Which brick phone did you get? I woukdmlike to do this but my children's primary school and important messages through WhatsApp and Dojo and that is my only worry.

Exactly the same as me!
Do you look at Rightmove because you’re buying/ selling or just for fun ?

I think part of the problem is how much we do actually need these smartphones in this day and age. We do so much on them, but instant interaction/results is also something that takes over.
I struggle a lot with reaching for it throughout the day, and catching up on mumsnet! But I have deleted Facebook which was like a constant rage bait, and just have instagram now as I like pictures/photos.
The biggest accomplishment for me is leaving my phone downstairs when I go to bed. No nighttime doom scrolling. Part of my bedtime routine is reading a paperback book. It helps me get to sleep. Sometimes I only manage a chapter, sometimes half the book, but having the phone downstairs is the real winner.

I have never had TikTok or Facebook. I haven’t used Twitter since it became X. But I do go on Instagram, and go on here. I also use my iPad and play games a lot whilst watching TV. Or using a colouring app. Or switching suddenly to news websites. Or any random thought I am looking it up on Google. It isn’t just social media for me, it’s screens full stop. I was able to read at a very young age, in primary school I was allowed to go to the local library and was issued with an adult ticket. Presents to me growing up were always book tokens, I loved books, they allowed me to mentally escape a difficult childhood. As an adult bookshops meant so much to me. Still like them, but I read a lot less now.

I buy a lot of physical and e books. I have a magazine app (Readly). However my ability to read deep is very depleted now because of my screen use. My attention span gets shot, unless I have time out from screens.

I find it has made me anxious, a bit depressed, unfocused, impatient, butterfly minded, cynical, burnt out, less present, makes me sleep badly after a long session. Hours can whizz past. After a long time on screens I feel hungover, and ashamed of myself. One time I picked up a hard copy of a magazine and tried to increase the font size as if I were on a screen. That speaks volumes about usage.

Every now and then I limit screen use. Say to 2 hours a day (or 14 hours a week so if I use 4 hours one day I am only allowed another 10 over the week) and that includes using banking apps and emails. I have to really decide what I can use rather than when I have unlimited time. I feel calmer, I sleep better, happier, more positive, more productive and less cynical about life. My ability to read deep is restored, and I love it. But then, the screen usage creeps up again.

If I can do this to myself, the lack of self regulation, what about kids and their young brains. I know what I was like before screens but kids don’t know any different. I feel like we are all pawns in some Silicon Valley game. We think we are free thinking adults with agency but we have reduced our worlds to a glowing screen. And now AI is adding another layer into the mix. It is of course useful, but it isn’t without dangers. If we rely on it too much we are deskilling ourselves, it is doing the thinking for us. Recently a young boy was jailed for killing his mum, he actually put into chat gpt how he could kill his mother, and it gave him the ideas on how to do it. How creepy and tragic is that?

I am due another run of restrictions. I am feeling icky about it again.

You’ve inspired me to delete all the social media apps off my phone (except for MN of course 😉).

Thanks for this thead OP. I have gone from someone who could get through 3 books a week when I was on a reading streak and who always had about 2 books on the go to a person who has almost no concentration and I blame it on endless scrolling. Not on TikTok (I think it would be the end of me) but I spend far too much time on Instagram and have noticed I often do not even have the patience or focus to finish a video on there. I am a bugger for YouTube too but there at least I do give my full attention to podcasts like the Rest is politics/History/Entertainmen and feel that I have learnt something. I tend to leave my phone in another room and have recently been making sure I read at least one chapter of my current book a day. I do think the internet has ruined my fragile little mind and I need to address the hold it has on me

… I feel somewhat the same I can binge watch a whole series and a year or so later not remember and so rewatch whilst doing something else

I read in bed until I drop the kindle if I'm not careful.

I rewatch/listen to old series in bed. It puts me to sleep 😴. I too can't remember old episodes.

I've had two big operations in the last few months, both hips I find when in pain at night both help until the meds kick in.

You can set SM apps to have a time limit which is protected by a code. Get someone you trust to put the code in so you don’t know what it is, and limit yourself to 1 hour a day…or less!

But since covid I listen to loads more radio shows, dramas and the like and seem to enjoy and remember these more

Have you thought about getting yourself an Adhd diagnosis?

@ADHD89
Listen to this.
Amol Rajan Radical
Amol Rajan and James Marriott.
The Reading Recession:Are We Making Ourselves Less Intelligent.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/p0gg4k6r?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

@AClassicTrenchcoat 21:04
My experience echos yours.

Thank you for this thread OP. I felt I was going mad.

I removed the Facebook app from my phone about 2 years ago for this reason. Its addictive but not positive. I kept messenger but mostly use WhatsApp.
I use Spotify for music, and YouTube for audiobooks.
Im toying with paying for audible but just about still managing to find decent ones for free on youtube still.
I use mumsnet a few times a day and make sure im not on here longer than about 5 minutes, though I see this as more positive as its varied interaction and insights into less filtered life than general social media.
My general rule is unless im looking at news, recipes, googling information, whatsapp or using my calander then the phone should be used for audio only rather than as a acreen.

I heard this too. It has really made me feel concerned. It is all clearly true.

Sadly yes. As an avid book reader, not done this for years. It's just too easy to to scroll and ask anything you think of to provide answers. I would maybe class this as reading and research but it's not.

However, I feel fortunate to have lived before the technology age, real life, meeting friends at an areanged time, travelling and getting by from true human interaction.

Now, 50s, the world has changed so much. The takeaways of parents taking us to beach for fish n chips, no ordering online, were special. For DC it's almost expected that at weekends they can have this treat. Xx

I'm actually doing this now, scrolling through these MN posts even though i woke early and planned to read my book!!! I can put the tv on for a specific show, then start scolling on my phone and lose the plot of the show completely to the point i abandon it even though i know i would have loved it. Yes, you are correct and many an hour goes by in this way for me too, and on Facebook etc, though i refuse to join other stuff like Insta, so that shows i am aware i spend so much time on FB. I am going to try to keep my phone up or downstairs, to force me to concentrate more on reading or tv (one thing at a time, with full concentration). Thankyou for highlighting this to me, i am now going to make a concerted effort.

I've found the best way to sort this was by taking up a productive hobby that requires a lot of concentration and occupied my hands. So I've learnt to knit and cross stitch. Following a pattern is more engaging than just reading as it makes my brain work harder. I am a keen book lover too though. Social media is useful though for help when I get stuck!

Im the same. I spend between 10 and 15 hours a day on my phone on and off. (Im not working at the moment)
First thing i do when I wake , last thing I do at night.
I have always absolutely loved reading. I used to read anywhere then it reduced to just in the bath. Now ive noticed I cant get into any book and put it down after a few pages. I leave my phone in another room but if I do take it in with me I put the book down and go on my phone.
Same with films. They are too long for me now. Its definitely something to do with the short reels. I wonder what the long term consequences are and how that will effect people in the work place?