I have unsubscribed from most of the political groups I used to follow and participate in. The few I have spared are important and personal causes, but I try to use them as educational sources rather than a community of ‘friends.’ I rarely read comments anymore, anywhere. It helps when you don’t go looking for those itching for a virtual fight, even if they aren’t people you know, or even people at all.
I’ve also reverted to offline information gathering where possible. I look at actual clocks to find out the time. I check the thermometer instead of a weather app. I reply to emails on my computer rather than on the run. I keep my phone in an inconvenient spot to limit the opportunities to get sucked back in. I make an effort to interact IRL with actual human beings rather than via texts.
Truth is, as a modern entrepreneur and writer, I can’t permanently log off, and I do still love connecting with friends and family on social media. But to stay sane, I have to make sure that the machines serve my purposes, and not the other way around.
Otherwise I’m just a ghost in the machine.