Managing Technology Addiction: Taking Steps to Find Balance in the Age of Social Media

• Mark Maraia, a professional development author and Bitcoin researcher, has been studying Bitcoin since 2020 and has noticed the vibrant community on Twitter, which he calls “Bitcoin Twitter.”
• Marty Bent and Ryan Breslow, CEO of BOLT, discussed on a recent “TFTC” podcast episode the addiction to technology, particularly Twitter.
• Breslow encouraged taking steps towards managing the addiction, and Maraia himself has found a compromise by joining Telegram instead.

Since I began studying Bitcoin in 2020, I have noticed a strong, vibrant community on Twitter that I have come to refer to as “Bitcoin Twitter.” This online country is one that I have not been a part of, as I have had a Twitter account since 2009 but have never found it to be a good use of my time. As a Boomer, I see social media as a huge time and productivity drain and possibly the worst addiction of our age.

Recently, Marty Bent, host of the podcast “TFTC”, and Ryan Breslow, CEO of BOLT, discussed the addiction to technology, particularly Twitter, that so many of us have. Bent admitted to his own addiction, but noted he had not done much to break it, while Breslow had. Breslow detailed how checking Twitter randomly and often was a source of dopamine, and he acknowledged that with no silver bullet for dealing with it, it was a daily challenge for him to manage his own time on the platform.

Being that I am not on Twitter, I can easily feel excluded from the “Bitcoin Twitter” community. I may have great ideas to contribute, but they will not be heard unless I become more active on the platform. To compromise, I have joined Telegram, which has been the perfect middle ground for me.

Breslow’s advice is something that many of us should take to heart, as it is so easy to become addicted to something that is “always available, one button away.” We should all strive to find a way to manage our addiction, not just to Twitter but to technology as a whole. It is possible to find a balance, as I have done by joining Telegram, and there are many other alternatives that we should explore.