This is a very tech savvy forum, so would love to know how you all manage avoiding the algorithm and attention economy trap and be present with your friends and family when so into the tech itself? I find my phone is a bigger trap than my mac, but still feel the draw to tinker with the systems or scroll the phone calling like a siren song.
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For me, turning off notifications in iPhone and using TickTick for managing tasks is helping.
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Try going out for trips (like to the grocery store or library) without your phone for a few hours. When you get home, put the phone in a cabinet instead of keeping it in your pocket. Start getting used to not having it around all the time. The more you work on detachment, the more you’ll be free to use it when it is useful to you and the less you’ll feel addicted to it. Good luck!
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That’s what I’m experimenting with. I’ve turned off all notifications on my phone, except messages from a few people.
I’m trying UpNote for taking and sharing notes, and for draft long form writing. It has limited configuration which is good from a time drain perspective. TickTick seems to scratch an itch for task management, especially the Eisenhower matrix.
I am going to remove all apps I don’t use regularly, at least from the Home Screen of my phone, and from my Mac, and prioritise “good” apps. If I’m going to scroll I should scroll valuable content!
I’ve started doing this. This is where the Apple Watch (with notifications turned off!) wins. It’s tedious to use as an information device, but I can still pay for things, track hikes and so on.
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I only have notifications on for time based important notifications I.e. no social media notifications
Willfully putting my phone in my pocket so it’s not in my eye line.
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I read “using TikTok for managing tasks”. I have to go to tech rehab.
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I did too! I’m pretty tired this morning, but I was thinking that would be a super-interesting workflow.
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Having a mindset of intension helps me. When done using Mac for work or specific needs; it goes back to my study and close the door.
Notifications, especially badges, are turned off on my iPad. Badges are a trigger for me 
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iPhone has limited notifications and when not in use goes in the drawer with my keys.
Watch lets me see urgent notifications but makes me really be intentional on whether important enough to respond.
Overall, I think it comes down to identifying what’s important how you choose to use your time and energy.
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Friends and family are important. I leave my iPhone in my pocket when I’m with them and never put it on the table when we are eating, etc.
I used to be on call 24x7x365 and found most people understand if you take a second to check it when it vibrates.
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Not just friends and family, most times anyone you are interacting with deserves you full attention. And if you are on call or expecting an important message, let people know that, so they understand why you are looking at your phone/computer/watch.
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I’ve been trying to dial in my focus modes more and it helps. After 8pm my phone automatically goes into my Slow Down focus mode which limits text notifications to close family. For further quiet time, I have a focus mode that only allows my wife and mom to get through.
I also will leave my phone at home from time-to-time and only have my Apple Watch on my wrist for emergencies (it has cell service) and I find that very freeing as well.
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I start with what is important to me. What is your god. (We all have one). The phone and other tech can be a helpful tool in pursuing it. The danger for me is that the phone is very good at filling unfocused time with meaningless or harmful stuff. That’s what the "algorithms“ are so good at.
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Its an added expense but Cellular Apple Watch works splendidly as a dumbphone away from my phone. Provided that you have decent cell service where you are at. I am working at a poor cell signal school so it does not work as well as I would like.
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Can you share why you find TickTick more helpful than other electronic and paper-based task manager apps and methods specifically for avoiding tech addiction?
So did I !
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Just seconding some of the suggestions for managing notifications and badges along with Focus modes. Just like @HobbyCollector, I have a kind of in-between Focus mode scheduled for winding-down that limits the more distracting notifications, but leaves friends/family on.
Also useful to use Mail’s “Add to VIPs” feature plus locking down mail notifications to only happen for VIPs. Also helps to not get drawn in by those nagging badges.
Mac setting to tweak for that:
On iOS the settings are under Settings → Apps → Mail → Notifications → Customize Notifications → VIP:
And then you can turn off the iOS notifications/badges at the account or Mail-wide levels, since the VIP settings will override them.
And not quite what you’re asking for, but Brett Terpstra’s free Bunch app is nice for the same kind of Focus-mode style attention management on the Mac. Even though it’s thought of as more of an app-launcher, it’s just as useful as a de-launcher/focuser, where you have it quit apps, hide your dock/desktop-icons, etc. And it can be scheduled. I might do a writeup about using it that way at some point, or it’s easy enough to just play around with.
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Drop the phone and slowly back way.
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There’re some good strategies suggested in Cal Newport’s book, “Digital Minimalism.”.
Quitting the big social media platforms that design for addiction was the best gift I ever gave myself. I regained so much of my time that I’m able to read 80-100 books per year and have not lost touch with a single important person in my life.
YMMV
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because it has calendar/time-blocking view with pomodoro and stopwatch built-in.
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