Ever since I’ve been taking my digital consumption more seriously, my life has gotten way better. Where I used to spend five hours a day scrolling on Instagram and watching YouTube videos, I tend to pick up a book more often or go for a walk.
The changes felt small at first. A walk instead of a scroll. A book instead of a feed. But four months later, the compound effect hit me: I was writing more, practicing guitar again, and actually present with my friends. Not because I tried harder. Because I stopped letting my dopamine get farmed.
Sticking to Books
I read Atomic Habits and Think and Grow Rich on paper. I retained more from each than I do from a month of scrolling. Reading on the other hand on screens offers a less appealing experience. You get distracted easily. The depth isn’t there. I’ve been switching between online and offline reading, but these days I would pick up a book more quickly.
The Solution
To tackle these problems, I have reduced my digital consumption from 5 hours to 1 hour a day on average, by using my phone as a tool instead of a trap. If there are some apps that really distract you, consider deleting them for a while. When you are very serious about it, consider using a dumbphone app. These things take a bit of time setting up, but it is a very effective way to spend less time on your phone.
My home screen has four apps: Notes, Books, a dumbphone launcher called Blank, and my calendar. Everything else is behind a search bar. If I want Instagram, I have to type it. That two-second friction makes me ask ‘Do I actually want this?’ before every open. Most of the time, the answer is no. This way, I can spend more time working on my business, practice guitar, or spend time with friends and family.
The Hard Part
The first week without social media apps was harder than I expected. Day four was the worst. I almost reinstalled Instagram because I did not know what to do with the silence. I went for a walk instead. It felt wrong at first, like I was forgetting something important. That feeling passed after a few days.
What Changed
The real shift wasn’t the screen time. It was what filled the space. Four extra hours a week went to guitar. Two hours to writing. Saturday mornings stopped being a scroll session and became a walk with no destination.
You save many hours that you can now spend on things that you love to do. You have more energy and feel refreshed, because you are not drained by all of the impulses and notifications. Consuming well leaves you with enough time and energy to create. That is the whole point.
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Check out my youtube channel for more content around these topics; Mart Bergsma
Have a wonderful day,
Mart Bergsma
