Day one (July 6, 2023) of this 75-day challenge starts with five simple rules.

1. No watching YouTube
2. No watching Netflix other than predetermined movies
3. No watching the news
4. Working for certain number of hours hours a week
5. Writing a daily blog

On day two, I successfully completed all five tasks.

When you place a blanket restriction, like abstaining from YouTube or Netflix, it effectively redirects your mind. That’s because indulging in these activities even a little bit can lead to a slippery slope. You’re up against big companies with master manipulators on their side, armed with science. Trying to consume these things in moderation eventually results in falling prey to their manipulative algorithms. Thus, the best strategy is to shut it down completely and close that chapter.

It might seem impossible to live without YouTube or Netflix for a day, but remember, just 10 years ago we were living just fine without these technologies. Consider how you filled your days before they existed. When I first came to the United States in the early nineties, we were just beginning to experiment with internet browsers and emails. The constant presence of the iPhone didn’t exist yet, and life went on. So, the notion that we can’t function without these technologies is false.

The same can be said about television. Most people don’t watch traditional TV nowadays, even though 10 or 15 years ago we might have watched a significant amount. At that time, it might have seemed impossible to live without it. But today, we manage just fine.

Similarly, when you go to a supermarket, you don’t buy every item on every aisle. You know what you want, you get it, and you leave. Why can’t we apply the same mentality to consuming social media or the internet? For the most part, social media offers little for human development. But the internet does have its place. Just consume it based on your needs. Go directly to what you want, like you would pick an item off a supermarket shelf.

I’m excited that I’ve managed to close the chapters of YouTube and news consumption. News is just clutter trying to manipulate our dopamine response. It’s not useful information. I’m not in the business of obtaining information, but rather obtaining knowledge that I can convert into wisdom. It’s been a bit difficult, but I’ve managed to stick to all five rules. We live in a world addicted to distractions, and I’m no different. We seek distractions because we’ve trained ourselves to avoid facing reality. Today’s distractions come in different forms like various platforms for news that consume our energy, focus, and attention. Whoever has our attention controls us.

In the 18 days since starting the challenge, I haven’t opened YouTube, I’ve stopped watching the news, and I’ve used Netflix only for specific movies or documentaries that I’d predetermined to watch. The last two tasks were the biggest challenges. The first three were about avoiding certain activities, but the last two required action. I struggled to maintain a specific hours workweek, but I succeeded. The most significant challenge was writing a daily blog.

Writing a blog is a major undertaking. Each entry requires intensive study and the capture of new ideas. After dictating the blog, which usually happens during my morning walks, I then have to transcribe and format it. One blog post can take up to two or three hours, not including the study time, which could add another three to four hours. It’s a significant commitment, but I’m sticking to it. Let’s see how this journey unfolds.

It’s been almost a month now since I’ve successfully maintained these rules. It has become a way of life and feels like a firmly established habit. This change has provided me with significant focus and extra hours, which I’m mostly using in pursuit of knowledge. I’ve been able to attain significantly more knowledge this month.

Just yesterday, my wife urged me to come out of my “bubble.” She was referring to some recent events in our home country, Pakistan, that I was unaware of. I never follow contemporary news, and it turned out to be regional news about monsoon rains affecting people’s lives in our locality. I learned about it from her, and that was good enough. Even if it was important news, I would have found out from other sources. I don’t need to deliberately get hooked on news feeds. A month is a long enough period to prove that I’ve successfully shielded myself from them.

Moreover, not aimlessly scrolling through Netflix or other streaming services has also been calming. I now select a movie deliberately instead of using a movie or a TV show as a mere time filler. In the past month, I’ve seen four movies in the theater and watched some highly acclaimed movies on Netflix.

I’ve shielded myself from YouTube as well, only resorting to it when a topic could only be explained in video format. For the most part, my life has been free from YouTube.

The concept of work has changed for me. It’s more about getting the tasks done, either by myself or my team. Yes, putting in certain hours is important, but at the end of the day, the tasks for which I’m responsible need to be completed. I’ve managed to keep up with all of these tasks.

In every phase of life, it’s vital to maintain a sense of balance, and to avoid tipping too heavily towards one side. This equilibrium shifts according to our life stages — the balance we strike in our youth often differs from the balance we aim for in adulthood or in our later years.

Each stage in life comes with different responsibilities that alter our priorities and the balance we strive to achieve. Everything can be summarized in one respect: we need to do justice to every aspect of our life, every scenario, every person, and every deed.

Finally, writing a blog is no small task. All day long, my brain is processing and scanning different ideas and concepts. When I wake up in the morning, I have no clue what the blog topic for that day will be. It could be triggered by anything: interactions from the day before, information consumed, a book summary, an interesting topic I’d want to elaborate on, or simply updating my progress.

These blogs are primarily written to reinforce what I’m learning, but also to share it with a broader audience. I’ll do my best to disseminate these blogs to as many people as I can. I understand it’s challenging; time is a precious resource for everyone. Yet, I believe you have to be guided first to guide others. Let’s see how it goes.

Day 30: We’ve reached the 30th day of the 75-day challenge. One month has passed and roughly a month and a half remains. This first month was a resounding success. My YouTube viewing has reduced to almost zero, with the exception of one or two videos related to specific research topics. Netflix consumption was also minimal, limited to only predetermined movies, with no aimless scrolling. Moreover, I managed to avoid the news.

An interesting phenomenon occurred at a gathering I attended recently. It had been a few weeks since I’d last attended a social event. The news that I missed in that month was relayed to me during various discussions, effectively updating me on current affairs. So, rather than consuming news minute by minute, I learned about the important events indirectly. This proves my earlier point that one way or another, we’ll find out about the key current affairs if they’re important.

During this month, my wife would sometimes initiate a conversation on a topic she knew I hadn’t read about on Instagram or any other social media platform. Even though I was unaware of these topics, she’d kindly share the relevant stories with me, keeping me informed. Despite these updates, I continue to refuse to consume information through manipulated algorithms.

If she finds an interesting Instagram post, she forwards it to me. But as I don’t have the app, I struggle to open it, and it often doesn’t work properly. Eventually, she realized this and now simply shows me the post on her phone. This approach works well, as I’m not missing out on anything important.

The significant gain in all this is time. My energy is not depleted, and I can focus on the final two rules of the challenge: my work and writing a daily blog. A considerable amount of energy and time is required for the daily blog, so I channel my resources into that.

Perhaps one could argue that this is my addiction, similar to how social media is for others. It’s my dopamine hit, and I’m okay with that. At least it’s in my control, and I’m continuously growing and learning. I derive a sense of accomplishment every time I finish a book, write a blog, watch a good movie or documentary, listen to a book, or take a course. These activities provide me with my dopamine doses, and I’m quite content with that.

The goal wasn’t to eliminate dopamine from my life but to change the source of dopamine triggers. I’m content with this change. I’m eager to see how the remaining month and a half of the challenge unfolds. So far, I feel in control.