Michael's Blog

Digital Hygiene

I use a lot of electronics for my day to day, both dumb and smart. A dumb device is an electronic device that mostly has a singular purpose (i.e. kettle, microwaves, digital phoropters, auto-refractometers, etc.) A smart device is an electronic device with a browser and an app (that can also download and install other apps).

I have three smart devices: a laptop, a tablet, a phone.

Allow me to share my relationship with my smart devices without the need to quit social media (yet).

Why the need for the a digital hygiene?

I wanted to be able to connect with people around me. I no longer want to be the guy who sends memes to somebody under the same roof. To have an established digital hygiene with your smart devices puts you in control of your life more than your devices taking control of your life.

Whenever I see people on their phones for a long time, especially family and friends, I'm reminded of a line from that movie:

... I know it sounds like a weird move, but people need to spend more time in the real world. ‘Cause, like Halliday said, reality is the only thing that’s real.”

– Wade Watts, Ready Player One (2018)

It's quite a relief to know that I'm not the only one tired of social media. A lot of people on Bear share the same sentiments. From disconnecting from apps certain apps to making personal connections in real life.

In the end, it's all about being present.

In the next sections, I have broken it into five parts:

  1. Communication
  2. Notifications
  3. Passwords
  4. Social Media
  5. Keeping up with the news

I'll explain how I manage these aspects using the smart devices I currently have.

Communications

Instant Messaging (IM) apps

Messenger has been a prominent means of communication in my social circles. My distrust with Meta made me use Telegram for a while, I'd use that to chat with family and my girlfriend for some years before I switched back because I felt that Telegram was starting to feel like Messenger (spam and bots).

I have other IM apps:

I have consolidated these messaging apps with Beeper. I like how you can Archive messages without them having to appear in my Inbox again (that's you Messenger!)

Emails

In the 2000s, I remember my relatives ask me to get off the computer because they got an SMS text saying that got an email. (Ah those days. Don't miss the super slow internet tho.)

My early experience with email was limited to business transactions, applications, and digital receipts.

But lately, I have had the joy of reading emails from people. It feels genuine. I smile at the sight of misspelled words and the lack punctuation marks. To err is human, so they say. It's a strong basis to say that I'm talking to another human, and not some automated message.

Writing on emails is different from writing on IM apps. With emails, there are no take-backs. And most of the time you have to consolidate your thoughts and do your best not to deviate from the Subject:.

IMs, on the other hand, have a larger margin of error. You can talk about anything instantly anytime. The edit feature can be a life-saver, as long as you're within the window to be able to edit what you just sent. They're the equivalent of writing comments.

Whereas emails, are a bit close to writing a blog.

Notifications

Beeper has its own set of notifications. So it's important to turn off notifications from all the connected apps. Otherwise, you get a flood of duplicated notifications.

I have Beeper on my phone and my laptop.

Most of the time, my app notifications are off. Beeper doesn't receive calls (which is a good thing for me), but I'm notified that I have received a "Missed Call."

If I'm needed with urgency. I'm reachable by my mobile number.

Passwords

I have started using a password manager with BitWarden. It's free, simple, and easy to use.

I'm still in the process of changing all my passwords. I only managed to update the ones I frequently use. I've been using the same passwords for all of my accounts. I'd just change or add some symbols and letters at the end of the password (depending on the password requirements of the site).

No more remembering passwords. Just the one for the app.

Social Media

I have uninstalled all my social media apps from my phone. It's been a positive experience for me. I no longer doomscroll for hours and I've been productive in my work and my chores. I only consume media by reading Bear blogs and the Bible (the latter was surprising, even to me).

For some reason YouTube cannot be installed. So I downloaded (and purchased) NoScroll. If I happen to click a reel link, it opens in-browser. Then the browser exits on its own. In order for me to use the browser (for other purposes), I have to find a way to close the tab with the blocked link. So the resistance for me to watch reels is high on my phone.

Sure I can circumvent these controls, but the idea of me having to set it up again demotivates me into doing so.

I still have social media on my tablet and am able to access it on my laptop. But setting up these devices take time, especially my laptop. So if I really wanted to see a reel from a friend, I'd see them in sessions. My own version of a slower social media.

My wife sends me reels on TikToks. Last time I checked there were 40+ videos. Some have been already unavailable by the time I'd watch them. I'd watch the sent reels on her phone. Turns out, it's a fun way to bond, and she gets to see my reaction in real time, too.

I no longer keep up with the news with social media. There are people in my life who update me with such things. I'd rather talk with people about them rather than reading about it firsthand. If my curiosity gets the better of me, I'd set up my laptop to read on further.

Keeping up with the News

I mentioned earlier that I no longer use social media for the news. There are other ways to do this. One is to ask your friends and relatives. The other is to search the news outside the realm of social media, like a Wiki Portal.

Other resources that led me to start a digital hygiene

When the day comes that I no longer need the social connection through social media apps, you'll know it here first.

Cheers,
Michael

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#apps #productivity