#leechblock

[dkpsyhog]

I recently installed an extension to block tumblr and youtube at a certain time every night to help me go to bed at a decent hour and it's been working great but it's also very funny

Every night I hit the deadline and all of my banned tabs forcibly close themselves. I spend a few more minutes finishing up whatever I was working on, and then I instinctively open tumblr (which is the problem), the browser window disappears without warning, and my brain short-circuits for a moment before I Remember and go "yeah that's fair"

[wingedcatgirl]

wait did they revert to the old dash???

[wettapeheartbreak]

oh wow, i havent seen u in my notes in a while ghfjfhgf we're mutuals on my main i think(?) so its been a while

LOL hi!!! I've been busy with college but i wanna start using my tumblr again more i miss it, hope you've been doing well

[the-meat-machine]

after spending one (1) day with my self-imposed 9 AM - 8 PM tumblr block removed, i begin to remember why i blocked myself from tumblr during the day in the first place. probably, uh, gonna go put that block back in place again

[meme-loving-stuck]

Why did firefox mobile just disable ALL of my add-ons what the FUCK

[moss-cuttlefish]

screenshots of despair

[citrusella-flugpucker]

((The last non-dash page I had open has finally succumbed to an unwanted reload, leaving my dashboard the only thing still on the old layout...

...Wonder how long that’ll hold out...))

[ms-demeanor]

Okay so my new role at work is kind of like drinking from the firehose and if I spend time doing my normal work background stuff (like hanging out on tumblr for several hours between calls) things go poorly for me. I'm still doing it sometimes (as evidenced by this post) but also when it's going to absolutely tank my day and I'm having a bad time getting away from distractions and back to the firehose, I've been having a lot of success with the Firefox LeechBlock extension acting as internet time out for myself.

I don't think tumblr is a leech, and I don't actually consider my time here wasted, but I do have PRETTY POOR impulse control and this helps me to stay focused on things that I need to stay focused on when I would much rather be writing up a guide to password managers or getting into a fun argument online.

[kaijutegu]

hey friends if you're looking for a way to limit social media consumption because your family makes you sad or you get into some real dark thoughts whenever you open twitter, here's something good you can do for yourself.

first, figure out what your muscle memory social media sites are. like for me, i usually pop open a twitter or facebook tab regardless of what i'm doing. i don't think about it, my fingers just kinda. go there, for checking on stuff. i use other social media sites but i have to think about going there, these are just my muscle memory social media sites. oh before i go further, this is for desktop/laptop, my advice for mobile is just uninstall the app versions of your muscle memory social media sites are.

then, download LeechBlock. there's other blockers too but like, that's the one I use bc I enjoy its functionality.

throw your muscle memory sites into the blocker. one of the things I like so much about LeechBlock is that you can give it blocks of time that you can access the site. if you have people you're checking on, if you want to get news from wherever, that's ok, but genuinely, do not give yourself unfettered access to the worst of what humanity has to offer. because that's what a lot of these muscle memory social media platforms are. because that's what a lot of social media has become. (not you tungl.hell, you're special.)

anyways here's what i set up. i noticed that it's facebook and twitter being my scylla and charbydis of doomscrolling, so i just created a custom filter to block them and just set my time limit to forever.

and if you NEED access to these sites you can set up times where you can block them more specifically, but for me, accessing them in my main browser is... a bad idea.

see, the whole point of this is to wean me off of the muscle memory. i'm use to pressing f+enter and facebook comes up. now when i want to access fb, it's a pain in the ass. that minor inertia keeps me away from it, and i can still easily access it in my work browser when i need it for herp society stuff. but that tiny barrier to entry makes a huge difference.

another thing you can do is log out of these sites each time you leave and have it not remember your login and so that makes logging in an intentional choice each time, which is often a disincentive or at least promotes spending more time deciding to be there. but that's more work than my lazy set it and forget it method.

the truth is that these sites are not likely to help you unless you're doing something specific and can avoid most of your feed. even if you have lots of good friends and community, you can't opt out of the terrible algo posts, and they are going to serve up polarizing content and right now, you probably don't need that. or if you do, you need it in a more mindful context, you need to not be sort of... drifting to your social platforms. i'm not saying don't engage at all, i'm saying be smart and thoughtful about it. as always, you are responsible for curating your own internet experience, and this includes after a real bad election. this is a tool you can use to protect yourself and stop doomscrolling before it starts.

[czteryd]

My guide to Internet warfare and taking back control

By which I mean minimizing screen time and wasting your life on making Zuckerber rich. Scrolling Instagram doesn't seem to be dangerous, but there is probably nothing less hurtful than wasting time of milliards of people on things they don't care about. Using willpower to work on this is a lie — you will need real weapons, technologies and strategy.

^this is the lost future you are fighting for. Technology can be good.

Remember, that wars are rarely won in a week, I am in trenches since last summer when i ditched my phone, when i say "It takes time" i mean 5–10 months. It is still hard, but the improvement is amazing.

This is a list of things I have been doing for more than a year that improved my life. Ranked with ease (EAS) + effectiveness (EFF) from 1 to 10.

It is still not perfect, but this is a warzone and you will adapt and not be allowed to surrender, soldier!

Remove the smartphone – 5 eas + 15 eff

Sorry. This is a military grade weapon that milliards of dollars are put into to make you waste your time as easily as you can. You can move forward with your phone, but nothing is as effective in taking control back during your commutes, breaks, walks and free time etc. and it is a very important part of learning to deal with stress without mindless scrolling and games. There is no real phone hacks to help you. We and the enemy know that timers don't work. If you can enable all enemy weapons with one switch it is not enough.

You will need a dumbphone or a custom rom to use this technique and stay in society.

It is not as hard as it sounds, actually you don't need it that much. Check out #dumbphone or r/dumbphones for inspiration and support. Me and many of my friends who done it as well don't look back.

Buuut i can't – 9 eas + 5 eff

Yes you can. But if you insist, still, buy a dumbphone or find one in the drawers and put your sim card there; carry them both. Now you can use the Internet only when you have wifi, but you can use offline maps, listen to downloaded music and watch downloaded movies, read pdfs etc. Check your email, bank, messages, memes at work or at home. You will regain control over walks, commutes and socialising. But if you still have any social apps, at home or during breaks, you are still cooked. It is still a very good first step to moving away from phone dependence.

Smartphone substitutes

Email, socials, work, school – all will now be done on a pc or a laptop. This is good. It allows you to distance yourself from stress, tiring family members, school, work and problems of others and engage with them only when you want to. It allows you to take a break. It is not your duty, to engage all the time and the ability to do so at your own pace is the biggest advantage you can get on the battlefield. If something important is going on — someone will call you, don't worry. Just inform others that WhatsApp is not a place to discuss emergencies.

Fun, music, reading – you will need to get a dumbphone that supports some music, pdf viewing, photos and maybe light web browsing, they do exist. Or just buy an mp3 player, some books and a notepad. An e-reader and a camera for the high tech soldiers. Y2K is back in fashion anyway, and you will be much cooler and people will start conversations. Having everything in one place was convenient, but, if it means having time–wasting hazards in your pocket, it is not worth it.

Libraries are here to support you on your journey.

Block the feed — 10 eas + 4 eff

Hopefully you got rid of your phone, the biggest danger now is your web browser.

Use LeechBlock to block or regulate access to the biggest dangers – youtube, instagram, fb, reddit. On the weak side it is no better than the timer in your phone, supportive, but not really effective and fills you with guilt. Guilt is bad.

On the strong side you will block all access, allow very rare and short usage, put as many defenses as you can, put blockades on your blockades. Your brain is very effective at overcoming barriers, but they need to be put in place.

It is the first step, but it is not enough to win the war. Real psychological effects will show only after months of usage and well adjusted settings that acknowledge how your brain works and as you adapt your barriers will need to adapt as well. On the flip-side it requires no real conscious work or wasting your willpower if your filters are good.

You will sometimes need to bend the rules, to fix something or watch a lecture or a tutorial or just for some well deserved Forgotten Vines Compilation. Remember to put them back in place later and spot the times where you never did — and do it then.

Warning: nerd shit! (3-6) eas + (7-10) eff

If your friends sent you a funny video — don't unlock the site to watch it. Use external software like MPV or VLC to watch this video using only the link, without getting rid of your defense line. This is easiest on a linux machine.

You also have the nuke – block websites on your router and gate settings. You will need the support of the rest of the war room members in your house to use it and it will cut access to actually useful things. But this is a war for your life and every sacrifice is worth it.

Block the biggest hazards — 6 eas + 9 eff

Sorry, but you will need to use some nerd tactics.

Shorts, reels, tik toks, explore, for you pages. They need to be blocked immediately and for good. No access, no overrides, no fiddling in options. LeechBlock browser addon will allow you to block specific pages with harder barriers. Do it and never change them.

They are the biggest danger and you know it. Your brain will not be mad if it won't get dopamine this way, it knows you would never find the perfect 1 minute video that would make you happy. The urge to scroll some shorts will go away real fast.

This will allow you to fight only the easier fights — against the normal infinite feeds.

UblockOrigin

Is a double edged sword. Removing ads makes your life on the internet easy and fun. It is only a good thing to a certain extent – our fight is to make some parts of the internet as hard and painful to use – but it will help you keep your sanity.

Use it to block the feed! Click on Ublock icon and use the little pipette to add a rule that blocks the infinite feed on webpages of your choice.

Select the area and click the blue button to create a rule on the main page. Now you will not be distracted with algorithmic content, but you are free to not block groups important for you or your work or still see notifications, messages and other functions.

Cons: sometimes your rules will break with time, you will need to make many of them. Removing ads from youtube is dangerous as the reward is easier to obtain, thus making the boobytrap more effective.

Don't use apps and don't use the browser. 10 eas + 6 eff

Minimize a chance of getting distracted while doing something else.

For messages, school and work remove the browser from the equation. Use desktop clients for messaging, microsoft office, Teams, email etc. They have exactly what you need and are often more convenient to use. No chance of opening Instagram in excel.

For social media and online entertainment use the browser, don't use the apps! You are going into the warzone, you will need the armor – Leechblock and other addons are here to help you. Time wasting apps are engineered to remove your personal defense – never use them.

No Screentime before coffee – 1 eas + 10 eff

This one is behavioral and requires actual brain work, but give yourself some time and it will give you great effects.

Do not check memes, messages, mail etc. before waking up. Easier said than done.

Going to school or work will be easier, waking up will be easier, you will start to eat and have more energy during the day.

It will require you to plan your day in advance, check the calendar and your plan for the day the night before. I never learned it as a child and it is very hard to work on it, but the effects on my psyche are immense.

If you got rid of your phone, you are halfway there. If you can remove your laptop from proximity of your bed — do it. If you have an ability to put your pc in a seperate room — it would be perfect, but not many are able to, including me.

Separate your working, from sleeping, from entertainment spaces, we worked on it during COVID soldier, don't forget your training.

Remove the noise — 1 eas + 4 eff

somewhat. You probably don't actually need podcasts and music to work, walk or sleep and regaining your ability to focus there is also important. Maybe substitute them with white/pink/brown noise at least sometimes, especially for brain heavy tasks this is very helpful to get work done in a reasonable amount of time. Blanket app is a good desktop noise generator that won't require the browser.

But I will not blame you if you won't, this is the least problematic part and humans have always met to do menial tasks while hearing others talk and many conditions are easier to live with some background noise.

Pick your allies

Internet is a meadow and a minefield. Place for art and support and knowledge filled with weapons designed to use you as an revenue generator. Watch content only from curated, quality places and people you follow. Never look at the algorithmic feed. Tumblr is a prime example of a site that can be your ally, but don't trust it – block the For You page.

don't lose your steam

Do not engage emotionally with things beyond your control. This was the twitter's weapon of choice. If you do not have the money or time to support a cause, you know about it and you know all your mutuals already support it – don't let the algorithm put it down your throat against your will.

Do not follow war hashtags, do not look at pages when you can see hate and violence against your will. Educate yourself, do as much as you can, follow people who inspire you and do real work, but allow yourself to move on if it is beyond your abilities or strength. Your local anarchist group will do more good in a month, than you reading political posts for years. If you honestly care – join them and focus on real work. If you can't contribute, just learn about it and move on. There will be more opportunities in the future and then we will need all your strength. This is the sad part of winning the war. Some sacrifices have to be made.

^you soon

Wish you luck soldiers. This is a fight worth fighting.

share your weapons of choice if you can and tell me about your experiences.

[tea-and-secrets]

I've ended up having to use an extension called LeechBlock to limit the amount of time I can spend on this site to ten minutes an hour for six hours throughout the day. If I'm able to use more I always end up scrolling through blogs of awful people saying awful things which does a number on my mental health. Now I have to be very conscious about how I use the site, with the little countdown clock in the corner. If I want to read a longer post I know it will eat up my remaining minutes, so I decide it it's worth it. Reflexively interacting is also disencouraged, with is probably good for me personally. Like I'm writing this in a text editor so I can paste it in the askbox when I have time lol

It's almost embarrassing how much this has helped my mental state, along with making uBlock Origin fully hide posts with blocked content/tags so I don't feel tempted to read them anyway. My self control is weak so I have to use technology to reinforce it I guess. Modern problems, modern solutions, etc.

.

[wingedcatgirl]

me continuing to be on this website even though i know damn well i should not be

[some-stars]

are there apps that will let you limit your usage of certain apps/sites, not by total time per 24 hour period but by total time in one session? like an app that will force close tumblr on my phone after 30 minutes and keep it closed for an hour, but then restart the timer? if there’s a way to make screentime or leechblock do this i have not found it, but i also haven’t really dug around in the settings.

[mappingthemoon]

A friend posted this on FB recently and it was the kick in the pants I needed to finally remove the apps from my phone. I appreciate that this article touches on the realities of how difficult it can be to extricate yourself from this system, while giving suggestions for specific harm-reducing strategies you can take to improve security online and reduce dependency on shit-ass corporations like Meta.

I’ve been working on reducing screen time and social media use for years, with moderate success using timers (e.g. LeechBlock), culling following lists, etc. Sometimes it helps to just pause before unlocking the phone and ask myself, what would I be doing rn if I didn’t have a smartphone? (The answer is usually silent reading: I think more than anything else, social media has usurped gobs of time I would have otherwise spent simply reading a book, which, pre-smartphone, is how I filled practically any moment of downtime, waiting time, or “boredom.”)

I will say (and I’ve told this to a couple close friends already so I feel like less of a weirdo about it but it still sounds kind of bonkers) that after deleting the apps, it was like my phone felt physically lighter in my hand while using it! (Emotional baggage leaving the device???) And after a week I'm surprised & relieved to report that I don't miss them at all. Hell yes more brain space for my own damn thoughts!

[paperbag1999]

screen zen on iphone and ipad. leechblock on laptop. youtube shorts disabler on laptop. i am in a cage of my own design

[alkemylabz]

rn im using a firefox extension called leechblock to limit my social media time to just 30 minutes every few hours, check it out if you need a baby gate on your computer to prevent you from becoming mentally ill