This week, I got a new laptop for work. It’s really powerful: it embeds one of the most powerful processors you can buy today, has 64GB of RAM, and can run more applications in parallel than you can imagine. It’s a multi-tasking paradise: this beast runs multiple browsers in parallel. More information is coming at you! More data! More stuff!
When I set up this laptop, I wondered if I should connect personal accounts, including email and social media (including LinkedIn, which is a social media despite how it’s being sold). I decided to strictly separate personal and professional matters with my work laptop containing only things related to, well, work. The personal/professional boundary is now clearly separated by different hardware: the work laptop and the personal one.
While disturbing at first (I no longer answer personal emails as fast as I used to), this has been a game changer regarding productivity and mental clarity. As you have clear physical boundaries (e.g., you do not answer personal messages while on your work laptop, and you do not fix a bug while on your personal laptop), you focus only on one thing. You do it well and fast. And I really like it.
But more importantly, having no personal account on my new work laptop forced me to stay out of social media. I did not miss reading twitter threads from “AI experts” (the same people that were “Blockchain experts” six months ago) calling for an AI doomsday. Instead of doom-scrolling like a teenager looking for validation, I enjoyed running, meeting friends, and reading books. And it felt really nice.
In retrospect, social media is one of the most toxic drugs for your brain. It is addictive, provides (almost) zero value, and takes away the most scarce resource we all have: time.
My social media detox has been very beneficial so far. And convinced me to continue. It would be sad to miss what reality has to offer.