Our devices have become addiction machines, and my recent screen time data prompted me to make some adjustments to my digital habits. I focused on changing how I use my phone - trying to reinforce learning in as many ways as possible, and wanted to share a few things I did.

  • Using Twitter for Learning vs News - I’ve always used Twitter as a tool for learning new about new topics. Reading conversations between the most knowledgeable people is a great way to learn about any subject matter. However, the news of the last few years has decreased the learning value of my feed. I recently changed who I follow, focusing less on news, and actively muted certain keywords to increase the educational value of my feed.

  • Changing my smartphone homescreen. I added Working Copy and Wikipedia into my homescreen. I deleted Facebook and put all my social apps in a sub folder. I’ve never really been active on social platforms, and I consume even less now that there’s extra friction associated with this.

  • Manual Time Tracking. I’ve written about this habit before, and active tracking makes me constantly aware of where my time is being spent. This is more about personal reflection (learning about myself) rather than about any specific topic.

These are minor optimizations, but the benefits of these small changes will hopefully compound over time.