First off, to my male audience: If you thought I’m going to be talking about “THE button”, I’m sorry, but this article is not about that button. You’ll have to keep searching.
I’m talking about a particular button in the online world.
Second: I know that the rules of successful online writing imply that I should write at least a couple of (unnecessary) paragraphs before getting to the point, because the more time you spend on my content, the better, right?
However, in the spirit of what I’m trying to accomplish with this article, which is to give you more power over your time and attention, let me go straight to the point.
“Not Interested” - that’s the most powerful and most important button that you are (probably) not using online.
You can find it on 3 platforms where people tend to spend (and waste) the most time: Youtube, Instagram and Twitter.
If all you wanted was the name of the button, that’s it. You’re welcome.
(show some respect for me not wasting your time by subscribing)
If you want to get more context and hear about why and how I use it, keep reading.
To be clear, I am no productivity wizard.
But I do believe I spend my time online more efficiently than the vast majority of people.
In the past couple of years, the amount of time I spend online consuming entertainment or anything that’s not of real value and importance to me has been getting exponentially smaller.
I hope that both the quantity and quality of my instagram content testify to that fact.
What’s the secret? Tirelessly fighting against the algorithm.
(In the rest of the text, when I say “algorithm”, I mean the algorithm of any of the platforms that you are spending your time on.)
(I will be talking about my experience with YouTube and Instagram because that’s where I spend most of my time. I don’t use Twitter, but because I know a lot of you use it, and I care about you, I’ve made the effort to see if Twitter has the same “not interested” button - it does.)
I know this is not breaking news, but the algorithm is not your friend.
It is not designed to help you get as much value as you can from your time spent on a certain online platform.
I don’t know what representatives of these platforms state as their mission, but this is how I personally look at it:
The algorithm is designed to recognize what type of content shuts your mind off and gets you stuck to your screen like a zombie. When it recognizes that type of content, it floods you with it.
I have to assume such an extreme and even conspiratorial-sounding stance “against” the algorithm because that’s what it takes to regain control over your online life.
Obviously, I believe that social media can be an immensely valuable and even beautiful place. Otherwise, I wouldn’t spend almost 3 years creating and posting content on it every single day.
How The Algorithm Works
You go to your explore page on instagram. You watch a “funny” reel. You don’t even like, comment, or save it - no interactions with the post. But you watch another one, because why not?
Well, congratulations, from now on you can expect your explore page to be filled with the same kind of mindless videos, replacing the content you actually appreciate and get some value from. That is, unless you make an actual effort to influence the algorithm.
The problem is, you need to be careful even with consuming the things you are interested in.
As you probably already know, I am interested in physical training. But I make sure to use the “not interested” button on almost every single fitness post I see on my instagram explore page. Why? Because after a couple of days of occasionally consuming fitness content, instagram decides that it’s a good idea for 95% of my explore page to be photos and videos of shirtless men, a lot of them not even fitness-related. I’m not judging if you would like your explore page to look like that, but personally, that’s not my thing. And even if it was, I wouldn’t be using instagram for that type of “entertainment”.
YouTube is not too much better.
To be completely honest, I don’t know how their algorithm exactly works.
But I do know that, after watching a philosophy lecture, my youtube home page does offer some similar videos, but it’s not flooded with philosophy lectures.
On the other hand, after watching an interview with an MMA fighter, youtube thinks that I’m interested in everything MMA-related, from a press conference that took place 7 years ago, to a breakdown of a fight that hasn’t happened yet and is not even scheduled.
Again, I don’t want to sound too conspiratorial here, but I do think it’s beneficial to look at the algorithm as something that’s not designed to work in your favor, or even something designed to work actively against you.
Why? Because that will keep you mindful of what you are consuming and how you are consuming it.
If you don’t want to be just another person wasting their days, and ultimately their life, consuming, or rather being consumed by online distractions, you cannot stay passive.
You cannot have the mindset of “I’m not going to bother about it”, or “it’s not that big of a deal”.
It’s the small things that people don’t do, and it’s the small things that could change their lives.
They don’t wake up 30 minutes earlier to work on their side project.
They don’t do that 1 extra rep.
They don’t click on those 3 dots and select “Not Interested”.
You need to be disciplined and even ruthless when it comes to allocating your time and attention online.
Let me give you another example.
Becoming Focused
Rejecting the recommended content that you don’t really care about is a major step forward because most people don’t make it.
But the real level-up in your focus happens when you start rejecting content that is objectively valuable and educational but isn’t high enough on your priority list.
Because of my interest in physical training, YouTube recommends to me a 40-minute video, made by a true expert, giving a scientific breakdown of how to create a training program with an emphasis on explosive leg power.
Am I interested in that? Yes, I would actually really enjoy learning more about that.
But I have to be realistic with my goals and priorities, as well as with the time and attention I have at my disposal.
Do I have a training client whose main goal at the moment is increasing explosive leg power? No.
Would increasing my own explosive leg power somehow move me closer to my goals? No.
Besides taking 40 minutes of my time to watch the video, and probably even more because I will be taking some notes, wouldn’t watching this video also influence the algorithm to show me more similar videos in the future? Wouldn’t I be tempted to watch some of those other videos? Wouldn’t those 40+ minutes then end up being tens of hours that could’ve been spent on the things that I absolutely need to be watching, listening to, and reading if I am to move towards my goals? Yes, yes, and yes.
I’m sure you can relate to this.
There are certainly things in your life that you are interested in, but they simply don’t deserve a significant portion of your time and attention at the moment.
So here is my challenge to you:
Next time, before immediately clicking on that video, just pause for a couple of seconds.
Go over these same questions, but of course, in the context of your interests, your goals, your life.
I guarantee you that 9 times out of 10, there will be no doubt in your mind that the right thing to do is to click on those three dots, and then click on “Not Interested”.
Final Thoughts
Most online platforms that you are using are clearly not designed with your best interest in mind.
However, it would be unfair to say that you have no power to “fight back”.
It is up to you to use the full amount of power that has been given to you as a user, no matter how small it might seem.
It is only by doing that, by being an active user rather than a passive consumer, that you can make the time you spend online a truly positive experience.
I hope you find this valuable. Talk to you soon.
As always, stay strong, love life, and never feel sorry for yourself.
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