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Trading Social Media for Guitar
Hello TAC family, it’s been a while.
After retiring from my job two years ago, I found myself occupying way too much time online. My iPhone screen time in social media amounted to almost 3 hours a day and it was time to break the addiction. Finding myself way too absorbed in tiny screens and missing out on quality engagements and worthwhile activities, I’m doing a social media digital detox.
Life is great and I don’t want to miss an authentic moment or be distracted by the now-compulsion to pick up my phone every other minute. I see that in others (just go to a restaurant) and I’d like to avoid seeing it in myself.
Then it dawned on me: what if I put that time toward learning the guitar and finally breaking past the learning loop that’s kept me playing the same three songs for three years?
Well, I’m back. Clear-minded and finally able to focus on learning and improving.
Catching up on years of Acoustic Tuesday episodes and focusing on the TAC daily challenges rather than surfing 100 YouTube videos and watching the first 3 minutes.
With a new guitar in my guitarsenal, (a Martin DR all-wood dread, Made in USA, I found for under $650) I’m so excited to be back to learn and grown with you all.
— Mike
“It’s easy to be seduced by the small amounts of profit offered by the latest app or service, but then forget its cost in terms of the most important resource we possess: the minutes of our life.”
— Cal Newport, Digital Minimalism (highly recommended!)
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4 Replies
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I think that’s a great idea. Consuming social media content can be entertaining and instructive, but it’s mostly pretty passive, and a day or a week later I think that most of us would have a hard time remembering what we looked at. (And participating in online disagreements is usually worse than just a waste of time.) Maybe I’ll try devoting the half hour that I’ve been spending on TikTok to just enjoying playing guitar. Even if it’s just noodling, it’s arguably time better spent.
I wish I had a dreadnaught, but a big, loud guitar isn’t really compatible with my living situation right now. Someday…
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That is a triple win:!!more time in the real world, a new guitar (happy NGD) and playing guitar. Congrats!
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What a great outlet and replacement for idle time spent on electronics. I’m so addicted to my iPad and phone, mainly to create noise because I rarely watch t.v. And it’s just me and the dog and cat right now – very quiet. I too try to replace screen time by playing guitar. I pick one up multiple times a day. Congrats on your new guitar! Must sound awesome.
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Wise move my fellow retiree. Particularly I would recommend adding some music theory (FBWizard as a start). Suddenly it all works together and social media’s passive hold is weakened.
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