u/Laro_Pro

TL;DR: Sharing my experience as a working pro in 30s who using social media to be relaxed, but ended up having the hallow feeling, and by the end of the day I wasn't productive as I should and happening this everyday made me questioned myself.

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Hey, I'm a working professional aged over 30 and I'm working from home since Covid. I work for a software company, I have good job and comfortable life. When you work inside a room for so long, eventually you'll feel that loneliness. Those who are live in the same shoe will agree to this. So as a solution I tried to be active in social media like Facebook and Instagram. First it felt like helping, but recently, when I looked back I really felt that I'm too addicted to Facebook. After a long meeting I started to pick up my iPhone and started watching 20 seconds comedy. After my lunch when I sit again, the first thing I did was pick up the phone and browse the Facebook app. And just like that I watched tons of content in auto pilot and when I see the clock oh dear it was already 1hr since I started scrolling. First I thought it's helping me to get out of the tired feeling but eventually I realized I was more tired after, actually exhausted and gave me a real hallow feeling. Not just that I had to work extra to cover up the work I should have done in the day time, and it took more time because my focus was everywhere. When I realized, I started researching this topic.

What this does as I understand it, these apps are engineered to give you dopamine spikes that give you an endless simulation in auto pilot. Actually the fake dopamines (dopamine is something that your nerves system gives to your brain when you achieve things in real life to make you happy) and these apps are really engineered well to simulate those just by scrolling. The moment you stops scrolling, your brain stops getting that constant spikes and that turns you empty. That's how the hallow feeling starts.

To be honest I'm not 20 anymore. I'm in my 30s, time and focus really matters to me. I do have things to achieve in life, but mind always try to find the easy path because it's in my fingertips. I tried the screen time option in iPhone and it keep failing me. At least I was able to control myself from scrolling in the bed in the morning as I started going to the gym in the morning, which gives me a real pleasure seeing my transformation. I think that's the way to go isn't it, just replace one bad habit with a good habit? Oh btw, I finally deactivated the Facebook account (after few attempts, TBH)

Anyone else feel like they don't even choose to do it? Like the hand just goes there on its own? Anything that worked to get rid of and be productive?

I'm a working professional in early 30s' and I'm using Facebook for over 15 years now as I remember. (yes I'm one of them used Facebook from golden era ;-)). Now I'm working from home in my room since Covid time. Few months back, I realize I was addicted to Facebook. Spending time in Facebook in between work, specially I open Facebook app soon after a meeting and it became a habit. Not just that, when I felt tired from work or coming back from gym, I open Facebook. Also after taking my lunch. In all these times, I was tired, and I opened Facebook thinking I'll be feeling good after spending some time on Facebook, and suddenly when I check time, it's either 30 mins, but mostly it's near 1hr. I was like, "did I just spent one hour on Facebook reels?" Unbelievable. That's when I started to check screen time in my iPhone (I didn't even realize that's there, and it's terrible). Not just that, I felt exhausted after spending that time. Imagine you started to do something just because you're tired, and suddenly that thing made you tired again. It started to give me a guilty feeling. I always knew I have potential, but ended most of the days just passing time with work, sometimes I worked extra to catchup the time I wasted. This feeling made me thing of "I'm drowning". Then one day I made a decision to deactivate my Facebook account. It was a hard decision, and that realize me how addicted I'm to Facebook. Finally, I deactivated my FB account, and I felt peace.

You know the best part, it didn't last long. I was posting some content in Instagram, but didn't spend time in Instagram as much while using Facebook, but few weeks after deactivating Facebook, I started to scroll on Instagram and it gave me that same feeling I had using Facebook, and in addition to that it gave me a feeling which I started to ask myself "Am I not enough?". You know, Instagram is a hall different world compared to Facebook.

And that moment, I realize, it's not Facebook or Instagram, it's the person inside me who need to escape from real things in life, person who don't want focus on things, who really don't won't to deep work. I realize no matter what I do, my brain always find a way to crave what it needs.

This has happened few months back. I'm just sharing this with you guys to see whether there's anyone in the same shoe because I'm new to this Reddit platform. I'd like to know your experience in doom scrolling, and what you did to fix it.