As much as you want to forget about social networks and not access them for certain periods of time, in the end temptation always knocks on your door. Luckily, there are alternatives. An app, for example, makes it easy for you to block the social media environment so that you can free yourself from your chains.
More and more people are turning to this type of application because self-control does not work. When we are young we have our parents who remind us to stop “TikTok” or to stop trolling people on Twitter, but at a certain age, everything is in our hands. And it is clear that it is difficult to control oneself, there are some social networks that hook us more than they should. The solution that tries to fix your life and gives you back a little of your freedom is called Freedom, and it is an app that works really well.
An app to make you productive
According to what those who use it say, one of the reasons for turn to Freedom is that it allows you to reach your maximum level of productivity. You’re not tempted to reopen Instagram to see what your contacts have recently posted or find out who unfollowed us, and that helps you stay more focused on your work, homework, or whatever you do. The operation of the app is simple, since you indicate the social networks that you are going to block or you can even turn off the Internet completely. But the most comfortable thing is to go directly to social media, since you never know if you are going to have to use the connection for any other reason.
You can set up a specific period of time when access is flexibly blocked, meaning you can reverse the order and access social media again whenever you want. This is not highly recommended if you have little willpower, since you will most likely end up reversing the settings so that your social networks are free again in a matter of a few screen taps. Instead, what you have the opportunity to do is block social media completely for the period you have chosen. In this case, what is recommended is that you be very sure of the configuration you are going to make, because then there will be no turning back. But there is no doubt that it is an efficient way to free yourself once and for all.
Freedom is paid, but it has a free version that does not provide bad performance, although as usual, with the subscription you will get additional functions. Also, keep in mind that it is available not only on mobile phones, but also on Windows, Mac or ChromeOS.
Activate Monk Mode
This is the term that is spreading among users for those people who manage, either with an app like the previous one or voluntarily, to distance themselves from the use of social networks. It is not easy at all, but there are those who have achieved it and who speak very positively about the decision they have made. Typically, Monk Mode is always activated voluntarily for a specific goal, such as focusing all your energy and attention on a single task. Those who do it discover that they are much more productive, that they finish what they wanted to do sooner and that, at the same time, the results they obtain are better. The reason for this is no surprise: your brain focuses all its attention solely on that process and leaves the distractions generated by social networks aside.
Because access to social networks not only wastes our time, but also diverts our attention and makes us less efficient in what we were doing before starting to scroll through the app in question. Grace Marshall, a coach specializing in productivity, mentions that when we receive a notification on a social media application, it opens a loop that our brain wants to close. And, to close it, we have to click on the notification and consult the publication. By doing so, what we achieve is that dopamine is released, something that makes us feel good.
But this specialist goes further and in addition to talking about social networks, she also gives the example of applications such as Slack or Microsoft Teams. She says that it is not healthy for a company’s employees to be aware of chat conversations all the time, since it creates a need to constantly be aware of everything that affects performance and mental health. For this reason, she believes that companies should establish bases on the response periods that should be acceptable, so that we do not live so obsessed waiting for notifications from co-workers or our boss.
In general, as Fred Stutzman, creator of Freedom, says, we should not be afraid of using technology to fight the presence of technology in our daily lives. These types of apps can be very useful and help if used appropriately. He also comments that it is, at least, a way to combat the policy by which companies in the social media environment continue to research non-stop to create more addictive experiences that make users unable to stop using their applications.
