Fuck TikTok and Social Media

I have implemented 15 minute screen time limits on my phone for apps I have a similar problem with

You know your phone lets you delete apps, right?

I understand it's tough to break the habit, it will take some time. I never downloaded it, and it started gaining popularity towards the end of my college days so it didn't appeal to me. Some friends were into it, but I made a conscious decision to never download for a few reasons. I used to really be into twitter in HS and the start of college, but ultimately decided to delete it. It is challenging at first, kicking the habit of picking up the phone and pressing the app icon for that quick hit of entertainment. But eventually it is easier. First, delete the account on it (so you'd have to make a new one if you re-downloaded it), then delete the app altogether. It will get better and easier. Eventually you'll thank yourself.

I assume you were raised by an iPad, but you can go buy a trac phone and enjoy life.  

Delete it.

Honestly wish it didn’t exist despite all the benefits it has.

I don't know where I read this but I saved it into a file on my computer, eliminating poison.txt. 

You are missing the important first step: eliminate the poisons

Just like with physical fitness, 80% is removing the garbage. You can workout like crazy, but if you are stuffing your face with pizza and soda and donuts you are going to look and feel like shit. I know this from experience.

Similarly, if you want to achieve peak mental fitness you need to remove the things which are poisoning your mind. In terms of ideas, yes (get off the news cycle if you're on it. Get off the fabricated world of social media). But also at the chemical level.

Here I think the focus should be on dopamine. Our brains are over-saturated with dopamine just like our bodies are over-saturated with sugar and insulin.

Anything that gives you a quick hit of dopamine needs to be removed or at least significantly reduced.

Social media, porn, netflix, videogames, weed = these are the big culprits. When you are feeling a little bored or stressed or uneasy, what is the quick thing you do to numb yourself or give your brain a little shot of relief and pleasure? That is what you should focus on.

Dopamine should be harnessed in a way that is intelligent and beneficial to our minds and bodies. The feeling you get from socializing in person is good and we should reinforce it. But if you are getting the same circuits in your brain lit up by posting/ browsing on instagram, you are doing yourself a disservice. The pleasure you get from sex is amazing, and is a great reinforcer to keep you fit, keep your edge sharp, and keep your game on point. But when you light up your brain's pleasure senses with porn, you are reinforcing loser behavior (sitting alone in your room carrying on a sexual relationship with your computer or smartphone). The satisfaction you get from mastering new skills is good; videogames cheat you of that. The satisfaction of learning new ideas and tackling books and biographies is good; netflix cheats you of that.

And so it is with many things in modern life. You get the picture.

One of the greatest challenges that modern men face is not overcoming hardship, but overcoming pleasure ... the modern world is like a soft prison, with silk chains holding us down. Only the strong will have the discipline and resolve to resist instant gratification and pursue those things in life which are meaningful.

Struggling through real hardship, mastering skills, learning wisdom, building friendships, creating things of value and beauty, seducing and fucking beautiful women, etc. These are things which are most rewarding. But it's hard to pursue them when we are being constantly distracted by a smorgasbord of sugary food, videogames, and pornography. All cheap and easily accessible to a brain that has a evolved over a million years to become perfectly adapted to a world of scarcity and hardship.

TLDR- Step one in "taking care of your mind" is removing the poisons.

The TikTok algorithm must be one of the best out there, it is addictive. You can either delete the app or have some control app for it.

Not sure which better reflects the dumbing down of the US, TikToc or Twitter.  

Get rid of all the high-frequency social media, or at least as many as you can. I deliberately only have Facebook (to keep in touch with people if needed) and SnapChat. No IG / TikTok / Twitter as those are all absolute garbage for the brain

Social media has been disastrous for mankind 

I can honestly say I have never been on TikTok.

If you want to get laid you better be cultivating your IG at the very least. Makes life way easier. Shits important for chicks. Just don't spend time scrolling through discovery and you'll be fine 

social media and mainstream media are both mental poison. Get rid of the baggage and be free 

I’m on TikTok and Instagram mostly. I have Facebook too, but don’t go on it that much. I find TikTok to be fairly entertaining. I mainly post poker videos on TikTok and have a small following. My Instagram is mostly athletes, chicks, fitness, triathletes and Muay Thai content that I follow. 

Tik Tok sucks 

lol @ these Gordon Ramsay videos 

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMRkkT9q3/

The comments section on TikTok is always gold.

bruh look at this insane Redbull mtb run

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMRkBkwnv/

Felt this, just deleted TikTok. It was ruining my productivity and time management. I knew I was down bhad when I was watching the “Corvette, Corvette” dance at 1am. Still like Instagram tho, keeps me up to date on friends and news.

Fashion jogger 

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMRkBUWUr/

Quadzilla 

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMRkBC6dB/

lol MFs in 1787

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMRkBHpRB/

lol blind dude flips

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMRkBph5a/

one time I saw a video of a woman breast feeding her child. like tits out and everything. it was pretty cool. 

I don't use Tiktok but have the same issues. I consumed books in high school. I haven't finished a book in over 10 years, despite starting dozens. 

“That’s false advertisement” rofl

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMRkgr4tj/

The twisted tea hit to S4

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMRkbwuBh/

never was on tiktok, been off socials (unless you count WSO) for over a year now. it will have a meaningfully positive impact on your life. after getting together in person with my friends who are all still on, the only things I was out of the loop on were dumb memes

you won't miss it buddy

.

Twitter and TikTok will literally bring down the west.

I'm going to approach this discussion from the exact opposite view. 

I, for one, have not used twitter, IG, or TikTok and find that I actually might get it to better understand general trends in fashion, nightlife in my area, follow a few comedians and hobbyists on these platforms. 

My rationale for indulging in these to begin with stems from my somewhat anti-social demeanor; when our industry is working ~10-12 hours a day, prone to burnout and emotional erosion in 1-2 years' time, it's important to be able to socialize and relate to others outside of talking politics, news or financial modelling mechanics. I find that social media in this regard is actually pretty useful: you can quite easy see what others are doing (i.e. clubs, concerts, restaurants, deals) in your area. 

I think the important factor to consider is: no one posts vulnerabilities on these platforms, so they're biased upwards, the algorithm is addictive, so utilize it as a reward mechanism for completion of tasks or under strict time limit (15 minutes of TikTok) and if you find yourself over-indulging, then simply begin your morning and end your nights with a technology detox: about an hour before you wake up, keep your phone turned off and an hour before you sleep, keep your phone in airplane mode with only your alarm set for the night.