Is anyone else finding it harder and harder to avoid their cell phone?

Spare moments – at first wake up, in line, in the bathroom, at red lights, and of course before bed – are spent checking Facebook, Twitter, Youtube or google news.  And I’m finding it increasingly difficult to avoid commenting on meaningless arguments online.

I didn’t used to be this bad.  A big part of it is the news cycle.  I’ve never been interested much in politics until the most recent election.  The constant deluge of scandals and outlandish quotes combined with the quick dopamine hit of social media seems to have beaten back my self control.

I know none of it matters.  None of it is under my control and none of it affects my life in the least.

So why?

Maybe the steady stream of sound bites eliminates my need to process any of it.  Thinking is hard and the internet is easy.

Maybe my human tendency toward choosing a side is attracted to polarizing articles.

Whatever it is, here and now I’m making a vow to stop consuming so much.

I vow to create more.  That means thinking and writing, business and play.

When I consume, I vow for it to be though books.  Preferably older books.

I vow to avoid mainstream media.  In its place, I will read from authors whose words don’t appear to be controlled solely by their politics, clicks, or sponsors.

Marcus Aurelius said, “Don’t waste time arguing what a good man is.  Be one.”

There are a lot of people that need to take this advice but the only person I can force it onto is myself.  And so I start today.

(Thanks to Ryan Holiday for sharing the quote and for his most recent article on the topic)