Cutting down the time you spend on social media really boosts your ability to focus on work…

I’m not even going to post this on X!

Since around June, I’ve been trying to spend as little time as possible on social media, and honestly—it’s been better than I imagined.

This isn’t exactly about model building, but I feel like it’s pretty important for anyone who needs to work with deep concentration, so I’ll just share my scattered thoughts.

If you stop checking social media, you can finish most tasks much faster

I think a lot of people, when they open their PC, unconsciously check X right away—looking at notifications, scrolling through the timeline for anything interesting. I’ll admit, I used to do exactly the same. Recently though, I’ve been making an effort to avoid it.

Notice something strange about that last sentence?

“I’ve been making an effort not to check social media.”

We have to try not to look at it. Even then, we sometimes open it without thinking. That’s kind of scary when you realize it. And it’s not hard to imagine how much it eats away at our focus.

For the record, I even installed a browser extension called “Control Panel for Twitter” to block X as much as possible, but I still find myself opening it. That’s how bad the habit is—it’s a massive productivity killer.

Once I start scrolling, 30 minutes can disappear in what feels like seconds. Why? The same reason that’s been discussed countless times—social media gives your brain dopamine hits. It feels fun, so you keep scrolling. Meanwhile, your brain loses interest in slower, less stimulating tasks.

When you post something yourself, you get a constant stream of notifications—like an endless slot machine.

For anyone doing creative or production work, this can be deadly. I’d love to know how others manage to control themselves.

┃Lately, the downsides of social media feel bigger than the upsides

Besides stealing focus, X is full of pointless daily arguments. Sometimes I wonder why people put so much energy into them.

But if it’s about something that feels close to home, of course, you want to say something too—and that’s how your attention gets hijacked. Even a small amount of mental energy spent there means your thoughts are trapped in that debate.

You might spend days—or even a week—mentally circling around it. And during that time, did your work actually progress? Probably not.

Looking back, I realize I’ve often said things I didn’t need to say. You post your opinion, get positive or negative reactions, then deal with the stress, doubt, and overthinking that follow—all of which drain focus.

And with short-text platforms like X, people often reply without really reading, or post vague subtweets. Sometimes you react without thinking about the consequences. It’s a habit formed by overexposure to short-form posts and videos—we’ve gotten out of practice with pausing, reflecting, or questioning things. It’s not really about individuals—it’s the platform and the era. A modern-day illness.

A single throwaway post can spread unnecessarily, annoy someone (it happens), invite random insults from strangers (it happens), or even damage a loose connection with someone you knew (it happens).

It’s kind of sad when you think about it.

They say 90% of human problems are caused by relationships. Even when communication was face-to-face or by letter, that was true—so in today’s high-speed, text-based world, it’s no wonder more people are stressed and anxious.

┃The fact we even have to think about this shows the problem

Honestly, I just want to enjoy social media without overthinking it. But as more people follow me, I feel less free to post anything casually.

If I speak vaguely, someone demands specific examples It’s exhausting. Honestly, my enjoyment of X is down to about 30%. If I feel this way, I can only imagine how much harder it is for people with bigger followings, like popular illustrators.

I used to think “digital detox” was pointless, but now I think it’s truly worthwhile.

Basically, it just adds noise to your thoughts.

On top of everyday life tasks, if you start focusing on social media drama, you can’t give full attention to what really matters.

So from now on, I’m going to avoid posting anything trivial on X as much as possible. Sticking to announcements might be the best way to avoid losing focus.

Of course, I’ll still try to be flexible depending on the situation.

And instead, I’ll keep writing my blog—so check it out whenever you feel like it!