The Why Am I Checking Twitter Log

A handy guide to help you discover the when & why of your Twitter usage.

We typically consider Twitter to be a tool for entertainment, discussion and meeting people.

But when you actually sit down and make note of every time you check Twitter...

You may discover you aren't doing something useful, or even entertaining, as frequently as it seems.

In fact, you might sometimes anticipate *feeling bad* while you're about to open the app.

Why put yourself through it?

This tool exists because I had a realization:

Most of my "reasons" for checking Twitter fell into a few discrete categories.

Some of them were genuinely wanted, desired, and useful.

Actions like checking up on a friend, or looking for new content from my favorite creators.

But my interactions in another category (politics...) were distinctly not useful, not desirable, or even wanted.

(Hint: I muted a few key words that show up in the news and IMMEDIATELY felt better using Twitter. Try it.)

So I broke out a pen and paper, and started taking notes...

"Why am I about to check Twitter? What good will it do me? Do I expect to feel better, or worse?"

"Is this distracting me from something important?"

The answers, I discovered, made the time I "invest" into social media seem, um... poorly spent.

So, I wanted to get off the Bird App.

But there's a problem you might recognize.

*Some tweets are genuinely useful.*

I'm still working on what to do about that.

To tackle the "what to do it" part, I want to find others like me, who want to get the good parts of Twitter -- without exposing themselves to the addictive nature of it. And find out what people are *really* getting out of Twitter that is *useful*. 

What genuine benefits are there?

What could be separated out from your experience, so that you get the benefits *without* being exposed to the habit-forming Twitter feed, notifications, etc.?

I'd like to know, because the number of interruptions is just...

Too many.

If this guide is right for you, chances are you already feel the same.

This logging tool is currently $14. It will help you recognize that Twitter often causes frustration, outrage, and other sources of spiked blood pressure/heart rate.

It is recommended that you print it out three to five times, and then carry it around in your pocket with a pen. Log every time you intend to check Twitter and how you feel about it.

Write down: 

- the time

- why you're checking Twitter

- whether you expect to feel better or worse after checking

- if it is distracting you from something important

Alternatively, you may choose to simply copy the guide's logging format on a piece of paper.

Some people will want to repeat the exercise a few times, to really get a full and compete picture of why they're checking Twitter.

To go the extra mile, you can take note of times when you merely consider checking Twitter, or think of something related to it. That way you're also noticing how much of your mental shelf space it occupies.

Grab a copy now!

P.S. you can use this logging tool another way:

Instead of hopping on Twitter immediately, write down your intent as an entry on the sheet.

Then, at the end of the day, in a time you specify just for using Twitter, go through *all* of your activities in one fell swoop.

You'll discover three things:

(1) Most of the tasks aren't actually important.
(2) You can handle all the tasks in like 5-10 minutes once they're batched up.
(3) The urge to check Twitter is really the driving factor in opening the app.

It's (3) that is the scary part.

So grab your copy to find out exactly how deep the Bird App has its talons in ya...

P.P.S. I really am curious what people are getting out of Twitter, so if you feel so inclined, send it to me when you're done! Might be able to work out a solution to free up some time for ya. Depends on the response.