Digital fasting is cool

Because, #LiveAuthentic (also #LiveFolk and #vsco) #

I have content fatigue. Is that a real thing? Surely a reliable study has been done. But even if a study hasn’t been done, something has definitely messed me up.

In the spirit of Tom Haverford, here’s a typical Internet Routine for my mornings:

• Grab phone immediately upon waking up because my phone is also my alarm.
• Open Twitter and scroll without even absorbing anything because my eyes are still dead.
• Open Instagram because beautiful photos are very important.
• Check Medium to see if I got any green-hearted love while I slept.
• Once I’m finally walking around, I’ll check out friends’ Snapchat Stories. This results in me laughing at Todd Brison. I do this while handling an Aeropress and getting bossed around by my dog to feed her/let her out.
• Get back on Medium, but this time I’m on my laptop. Twist! At least now I’m producing content instead of consuming. But still…my writing time is dotted by me reading my favorite Medium writers.
• Check Facebook after I’ve written my story — for no reason at all because I loathe Facebook. Honestly, at this point I’m just conditioned to open it during any lull.
• Frantically go back to Medium because I just barely posted a story 3 minutes ago. It should have 1k green hearts by now. Nothing. Shit, I suck. “Oh wait! I never posted a link on Twitter. That’s why I don’t have any recommends yet.” Post my story on Twitter. And since I’m already there, might as well read some tweets, like a handful, retweet a couple.
• Get on Anchor, work up the courage to record a question and respond to others. Generally just poke around for a bit.
• By now, it’s time to get ready for work. I start the shower and then inexplicably stand half-naked in my bathroom while scrolling through Medium, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Anchor, WHATEVER. My phone eventually gets covered in steam…so I know when to stop. This is exactly the kind of moment that signals: I’ve got a problem.

Keep in mind this all happens before 9AM. Podcasts, Casey Neistat vlogs, and more social check-ins get added throughout the day.

A tricky place #

There’s more content on the web than any person can ever consume in a lifetime. This content pile grows wider, deeper, higher every second and there’s no stopping it. It’ll grow and grow until it becomes self-aware and eats our brains. Even after I publish this insanely valuable and well-written story, I’m only adding to a man-eating pile.

The internet can be a tricky place for those of us who get addicted to knowledge, new insights, fresh ideas, compelling stories, comment debates, and digital connections.

Some people can consistently eat up content (as well as produce it) without ever being affected or slowing down. I’m not one of those people. It all exhausts me after too long. I don’t know why that is. I just know that it is.

What I have to do #

I’ll be taking a month off — a Digital Fast, if you will.

From June 1 to June 30, I won’t be active on any social network. Nor will I consume any digital content.

Here’s what I am allowed to consume:

• Music
• Fiction, philosophy, biography, or poetry books
• Story-driven or educational podcasts like This American Life, Reply All, Stuff You Should Know, Criminal.

If you’re wondering why I’m allowing those things, it’s because those are the types of content that I never intentionally try to extract insight or knowledge from. I simply consume and enjoy the ride. However, sometimes insight or knowledge is an unintentional byproduct.

What I’ll be doing instead #

You may not be able to tell from my above Internet Routine, but I do have a life outside of the web. There are few projects and goals that I’ll be pursuing like a starving predator during my Digital Fast.

• Getting fit. I’m going on a tropical vacation in a month — Cozumel, Jamaica, Grand Cayman. I’d like to walk around the beaches without feeling weird about my body. So I’m going to be hitting the gym and the kitchen hard. I know this seems shallow, but it’s my life. Plus I’ve always been an athlete — sports and fitness are things I care about anyways.
• A freelance project. It’s always nice to have extra cash for vacation. So I added a freelance gig to my June schedule. Hopefully I can treat Mrs. Ortega to something special during vacation.
• Finishing my book. I’ve been working on a book of poetry since last December and I’d like to wrap it up. June will be dedicated to capturing inspiration and word-wrestling. This should be easier during a digital fast.

See you in a month #

Hopefully my eyes won’t be so bloodshot anymore.