I am a Content Zombie. When something is new, the dopamine produced within the brain skyrockets to create euphoric bliss. When I was getting into Bitcoin, I quickly realized that I knew very little about the many aspects of it. I dove deep down many different rabbit holes with the obvious result of being unable to focus on the fundamentals. I spent lots of time and effort going back and forth, looking into different components of Bitcoin, much like a squash ball bouncing off the walls inside the Plexiglass court. I used up so much energy taking in the information in a nonsensical manner. Needless to say, if I could go back, I would do it all quite differently.
I listened to podcasts. A lot of them. Way too many podcasts were played ongoing in the background, though my headphones or speaker. I would listen to podcasts on well-known Bitcoiners interviewing other well-known Bitcoiners. Some Podcasters are excellent. Their content is fresh and creative. Others are uninteresting and unable to capture my attention for long. I am not bashing those Podcasters. I just didn’t jive with their material. My problem was that I didn’t have one or two podcasts that I would listen to consistently. I would obsessively listen to one for a few days, move on to another podcast for a few days and keep the cycle going. Never really go back to any of the Podcasters that I listened to weeks before. I found that most have a very specific format in which they run their show. The good interviewers would clearly do research on their guests before asking the questions.
YouTube, Rumble, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram. These platforms have a significant portion of video entertainment content on the internet. It’s easy to scroll and watch for hours. These apps are designed to keep you sitting or lying down, remaining in a vegetative state. We get the dose of dopamine and then we get hooked on trying to recreate the same dopamine hit. I needed to reduce my content consumption. I was unable to concentrate and focus. I feel like I should give some kind of warning label to how I have been behaving while using all this social media.
In the end, I had to take some steps to reduce what I was consuming. I wanted to regain control of my time. I spent some time brainstorming what steps I could be taking and how I wanted to win back my intentionality and my focus, instead of constantly looking or listening to something bitcoin-related on repeat.
I set boundaries. I answered the question WHY I am consuming Bitcoin content. Finding my purpose helped me focus on what I was consuming. I progressively reduced my content consumption. Going cold turkey was not going to be the way. I tapered back the time spent watching and listening. I curated my content and prioritized what I was listening or watching. I narrowed it down to the creators I found value in. I moved to practicing more mindful engagement. I savored my content in smaller and more intentional increments. I moved myself to listening, reading or watching one or two articles a day as opposed to bingeing all day long. Also, I replaced my consumption with action. I would take time to reflect on what I have learned. I would then try to talk to friends, family and peers about these newer concepts on Bitcoin.
I replaced time spent consuming Bitcoin content and found more time to engage in real life. I cultivated hobbies, planned activities and pursued exercise. Self-care is very important to me, so I had to find a way to integrate Bitcoin content consumption with activities that align with my core values.
Lastly, I reviewed and adjusted my habits accordingly. I would do a checkup on how I was doing. I would adjust my boundaries and consumption as needed. To summarize, by setting clear intentions for myself, gradually reducing viewing time, and prioritizing quality over passive intake, I was able to escape the “content zombie” trap and develop a more balanced relationship with Bitcoin related media. You just have to be honest with yourself. It’s ok to go deep down the rabbit hole. Just don’t do it at the expense of everything else.