Despite not having much memory of your social media feed, you may have a vague sense that you at least enjoy scrolling. This, too, is likely a trick. Research suggests that people judge an experience as being more enjoyable if they believe they underestimated its duration. In other words, not only does time fly when we’re having fun, but we also... See more

Be deliberate not just in your experiences, but also your actions. Make a habit of resisting habit, choose a life of choices.

make the most of every moment, for the universe doesn’t owe you a tomorrow.

This is why studies have consistently found that people are much better at memorising information when it’s presented in narrative form.

ersatz

The deeper problem, then, is not social media or chatbots. It’s curvilinear mazes. If we can avoid following smooth spirals to nowhere, and instead take sharp turns to clear destinations, we can stay aware and keep track of time. We could even learn to use social media and chatbots — two incredibly useful technologies — in a way that enriches our... See more

Sean Parker, Facebook’s founding president, said: “The thought process that went into building these applications ... was all about: ‘How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?’”

surprising stimulus is also perceived to last longer, suggesting novel experiences slow time by heightening awareness.

Thank you for your writing, it's amongst the most memorable/useful on the site for me. This one especially so, as I've been thinking about this topic for years now. After all, I was one of the hesitant youth, prodded and pulled to download snapchat and the rest, only to become utterly trapped by them like everyone else. You're right to describe... See more