Issue #183 | Subscribe

Lately, I've been trying an experiment around how I use social media apps.

I keep Threads and Bluesky installed on my phone to check and reply to comments on my posts on the Hulry profiles, and I've noticed that what would begin as an honest intention of checking a few comments quickly snowballed into a 20–30 minute doomscrolling session.

Also, any time I felt stuck, I reached for these social media apps far too often.

In this post about setting up a dumb mode focus on an iPhone, I talked about setting up automation to turn the phone screen greyscale to make it less attractive.

While having my entire phone in greyscale mode didn't sit well with me in the long run, I wanted to leverage the technique just for social media apps.

So, on my phone, I created a shortcut that toggles the system colour filter (which I had set to greyscale from the settings) and increases the screen contrast:

And then tied that shortcut to an automation which runs every time I open or close Threads or Bluesky:

With this automation set, every time I open Threads, my phone's screen automatically switches to greyscale, and makes the overall social media experience less pleasing and more transactional:

Over the last few weeks that I've tried this setup, I've noticed I scrolled the home feed less and instead usually checked my notifications and closed the app once done.

The urge to continuously return to social media when stuck or bored also reduced as the feed looked boring in greyscale.

Interestingly, I've filled this habit of frequently checking social media apps with the Substack app, which, for me, is a better option because instead of scrolling ragebait posts, I find good articles and notes in my Substack timeline:

This experiment is still in its early stages, but if you're looking to reduce your social media usage, I'd recommend this technique.

If you use an iPhone, you can follow the same steps I had outlined earlier, and the switch would be automatic.

Try it out for a week and see if it makes any difference for you.

Now, let's move on to the rest of this newsletter issue:

Your Next Read

Mindset

The Antidote

Toxic positivity is a thing, and this book is aimed to be an antidote to that. If you've been annoyed by the conventional wisdom of "think positive no matter what", this book might be interesting.

Apps & Services

Bauhaus Clock

An analogue timepiece for your Mac

This is the best screensaver I’ve seen on any computer. With it, you can turn your idle Mac screen into an elegant analogue clock that makes your workspace look fancy. Available on macOS for a $19 one-time fee.
Abode

A private social network with close friends

This is what a fun social network app looks like. Create a virtual space and invite your friends to join and talk, play games, work on shared tasks, share group photos, etc. I wish this app were available on Android, too, as not all my friends use iPhones. Available on iOS for free.
Obsidian Bases

View your notes in a database

The newest update to the beloved notes app introduces a lightweight database view similar to Notion. You can now create databases from your vault content and have everything shown in a table or as cards with properties of your choice. Available on all major platforms for free.

Handy Shortcut

C

Quickly toggle subtitles or captions on the YouTube web app.

Interesting Reads

Designing a Balanced Work Calendar using Japanese Philosophies

12 min read

Longform

Japanese philosophy has seeped into most parts of my life, and for a while, they have influenced how I plan my work days. Here's a framework I use that gives me room to breathe and think, tolerate bad task estimates and help me make time for personal growth and health every day.
The Logic of the ‘9 to 5’ is Creeping Into the Rest of the Day

10 min read

A good piece that distinguishes true leisure from work masquerading as leisure. This article adds to what I’ve talked about having a balanced calendar in the article above.
Why & How I Take Reading Notes By Hand

8 min read

If you’ve been highlighting passages and quotes on your Kindle or taking notes digitally, this piece from Sam will be a compelling read to urge you to think about going analogue.
The Pressure That Made Miyazaki and Takahata

14 min read

Here’s a glimpse of the early lives of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, cofounders of Studio Ghibli, and their drive to make animated movies that kept viewers immersed in the scenes.

Watch Next

This video is a fine breakdown of what makes up intrinsic motivation, which is essential for good work.

Want to join my inner circle?

Join a club that pays you back handsomely through knowledge and skills that help you get 1% better every day.

For a one-time fee, yes, not a subscription, you get:

Become a Member