Digital hygiene
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Stop watching broadcast, network, or cable news channels.
After a week, your head clears enough to have original thoughts again.
one person who lived it
Avoid listening to sad music if it makes you feel sad.
One person learned that sad music makes them sad.
- Based on one person's experience.
one person who lived it
If you want to stop doomscrolling or reset your recommendations, pause or delete your YouTube watch history.
It can reduce mindless app usage and clear out unwanted algorithmic suggestions.
- Some users report this results in generic, low-quality mainstream content.
- Others find it causes the algorithm to recommend videos they have already watched.
7 people, independently
- Pause watch history before watching videos you do not want to influence your future recommendations.2
Unsubscribe from 'good' but non-essential communities to make room for content that aligns with your primary goals.
You don't have unlimited time and need to restrict the 'good' to make more room for the 'great'.
2 people, independently
Unfollow almost everyone except immediate family on social media so there is nothing worth seeing, making it easier to quit.
When there is nothing worth seeing, there is no reason to go there.
one person who lived it
content, often, media, watch38
Stop following social media profiles that trigger insecurity or offer no value, and apply 'see less' settings to negative posts.
Ask friends to send YouTube links via messaging apps so you can watch them later at your convenience.
This stops scorn from sprouting.
one person who lived it
Skip content you agree with if it is overly simplistic or inflammatory.
It prevents algorithms from showing you more of that type of content.
one person who lived it
If you see a provocative headline from an author you do not respect, ignore the article instead of clicking or leaving negative comments.
Clicking allows them to earn money from ads.
one person who lived it
- Skip inflammatory or provocative articles entirely instead of clicking, reading, or commenting.1
Stop interacting with content you dislike (clicks, likes, comments, watch time) and search for things you do like.
Interactions feed the algorithm, shaping your user experience.
one person who lived it
- Avoid interacting with low-quality or misleading videos by not clicking, commenting, liking, or disliking them.1
- Curate the recommendation algorithm by liking desired content, disliking unwanted content, using 'Don't recommend channel', and deleting specific watch history entries.1
- To diversify your feed, actively search for different topics and frequently click 'not interested' on unwanted suggestions.1
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Do not hesitate to completely disconnect from online political discourse.
There is too much hate and not enough love.
one person who lived it
Search for the backstory or original source of shocking claims rather than trusting selective screenshots.
Screenshots can be selective and betray the whole story.
one person who lived it
Delete tracking parameters starting with '?fbclid=' or similar from URLs copied from Facebook before sharing them elsewhere.
Facebook does not need additional hits to their website.
- Removing parameters can destroy functionality in some cases; ensure the URL still references the item.
one person who lived it
Read Jaron Lanier’s book 'Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now' to understand the harms of social media.
To realize how problematic Facebook is.
one person who lived it
Set up a separate Google account without your saved tabs or algorithm history to use for learning and research.
It prevents exposure to distracting content based on your past behavior.
one person who lived it
Seek news from reputable sources rather than relying on social media feeds.
Social media political subs often post memes and drama rather than new information.
2 people, independently
Open videos in incognito or private mode if you are curious but do not want them to influence your recommendation algorithm, particularly for content like Minecraft that can dominate recommendations.
It prevents specific topics from dominating your feed for days.
- It is described as a minor hassle.
2 people, independently
- Start watching other types of content and unsubscribe from unwanted channels to shift recommendations over time.1
Avoid posting political opinions or engaging in political debates on social media.
Debates are often pointless because participants seek validation rather than change, leading to outrage and generalizations. Social media transforms interactions into us-vs-them dynamics.
- One user reported success changing someone's view through open discussion and getting to know them personally, though this is presented as an exception to the general rule of futility.
2 people, independently
Set a strict time limit, such as one hour a day, for extracurricular information intake to prevent distraction from main tasks.
Information sources often encourage keeping your attention there, leading to excessive consumption.
one person who lived it
Check the publication date of an article before reading or sharing it to ensure it is current, especially if search results do not display the date.
Many reactionary shares are actually old articles from years ago.
one person who lived it
Read academic review papers or meta-analyses instead of single studies to understand the current scientific consensus.
Meta-studies collect results from several other studies and sum up what they have found, helping avoid flip-flopping results.
one person who lived it
Apply the same curation principles to offline friends as you do to online subscriptions.
Surrounding yourself with positivity ensures you feel positive.
one person who lived it
Ignore headlines starting with 'viral video shows'.
If it was viral, you have likely already seen it.
one person who lived it
Surround yourself with positive thoughts and make tiny changes to your digital environment.
Tiny changes can lead to remarkable results.
one person who lived it
Treat screenshots of headlines as unreliable indicators of the article's actual content.
Headlines are often written by someone with SEO skills rather than the article author.
one person who lived it
Include the specific tip or topic in your post title so readers can easily identify relevant content without clicking.
It makes it easier to scroll through lists and find applicable posts rather than clicking on vague titles.
one person who lived it
Create specific playlists named 'Watching' and 'Watched' to manually track videos, replacing reliance on the default 'Watch Later' queue.
This helps keep better track of intended viewing and can make organization feel more engaging.
one person who lived it
Do not take social media seriously.
to reduce its negative emotional impact
one person who lived it
Deactivate your Instagram account.
One person reported it genuinely helped their brain.
one person who lived it
Stop following social media profiles that trigger insecurity or offer no value, and apply 'see less' settings to negative posts.
6 people, independently
Be skeptical of articles citing journals that accept papers without enough review or for payment.
These journals often lack proper peer review and exist to meet academic 'publish or perish' pressures, whereas respected journals undergo rigorous review.
one person who lived it
Treat headlines that provide no specific information as clickbait.
Good headlines convey details without forcing you to click to learn the basics or emotionally react.
one person who lived it
Link to Internet Archive snapshots instead of live pages when sharing controversial articles.
This denies the original site ad revenue.
one person who lived it
Be skeptical of science reporting in mass media.
The media often lacks understanding of scientific studies and prioritizes big headlines.
one person who lived it
Avoid articles with cliffhanger titles, assuming the editors did not believe the content was interesting enough to stand on its own.
Cliffhanger titles often indicate the article itself lacks inherent interest.
one person who lived it
Ignore deliberate mispronunciations or misspellings in videos intended to trigger correction comments.
Creators use these errors to drive engagement metrics, which makes their content appear popular and reach more people.
one person who lived it
Share the original reporter's story or video directly instead of linking to aggregator articles.
It saves everyone a step.
one person who lived it
Avoid willingly engaging in unnecessary activities or consuming content that negatively impacts your well-being.
one person who lived it
Systematically block users who repost content to clean up your feed from repetitive, karma-farming material.
3 people, independently
If you feel overwhelmed by productivity advice, view methods as tools in a shop rather than definitive solutions; pick only what fits your specific problem.
One person found that realizing there are no universal solutions, only tools, helped them stop seeing every idea as an 'end all be all' fix.
one person who lived it
Avoid looking back at old Facebook posts to prevent negative emotional reactions, though some find value in recognizing personal growth.
One perspective suggests avoiding it entirely; another notes that reviewing past 'stupid' posts can demonstrate evolution in thoughts and ideas.
- Some users enjoy reviewing old posts to see how they have evolved.
one person who lived it