"Smart" phone
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I've been using dumb phone for a year and three months. I
have no immediate plans to go back.
Fakebook
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I've been off for thirteen years. I actually missed the
part where they let everyone's parents on, and I'm glad I
did.
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I kept winding it down and winding it over time. I haven't
even lurked there since well before the election (though I
got on election night to message a friend and that was
nice).
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I quit 2/20. Another case of winding it down over time. I
had a small sub I was moderating, and got down to basically
only checking that, but then I got other moderators in my
place and left a profile that has breadcrumbs to find me
if anyone ever cares to.
YouTube
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I even think I got this one, too. I've been off a whole
week, and unlike Twitter and Reddit, this had a direct
catalyzing event. I was watching an interesting musician
and my spirit was swelling and . . . I hit an ad and the
experience was so jarring that I closed the tab and thought
to myself I had enough, for a lifetime. -- yes, yes, I
should have an adblocker, but at this point it would have
just prolonged the last feed I couldn't stop, so all's well
that ends well.
In all of these cases, if I am reading a post and they link
to these sites, I allow myself to absorb what is there before
returning.
Only a few days after quitting YouTube I discovered the
smol internet. Perfect timing.
[Update -- 9/26/2021 -- I certainly did *not* quit YouTube
at that point. I think I am ready to now, and this fits
the pattern of how I left the others: first start
optimizing the feed, getting rid of what is obviously bad,
and then noticing how boring, empty, and repetitive it
becomes. . . Quit with a whimper, not a bang.]
. . .
After writing this I realized that I should address
television. Well, I don't spend much time with television
at all. When I lived on my own, I never owned a tv or paid
for a streaming service, and even married I watch at most
one show with my wife at dinner, and even at that I tend to
walk out on the show when I am done eating.
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I'd love to hear from people. My email is the handle minus
"net" (work by Voltaire that starts with "c"), at sdf.org.