Books not social media 📚

The other day I was increasingly alarmed by my use of Facebook. I found myself endlessly scrolling through the feed, mostly of good ol’ boys and farmers doing hillbilly shit, slinging manure, wrenching around with their pickups.

But also I found myself getting angry at Alexandria Fabulso, the anti-solar activist and so many others who oppose renewable energy development. Facebook algorithms seems to encourage the same three commenters on every post and it seems to only lead to flame wars.

And then there is the ads that lead your mind down creepy rat holes, like you mention your preference of metal roofs and wooden-siding over the plastic and asphalt crap, and you’re literally assaulted with ads for homeowners, and a every five minute reminder that you’re a failure as a renter.

I realized I don’t want any part of it. Or if I do want to go on Facebook, I should limit my daily use to no more 30 minutes. Other social media sites aren’t quite as bad – maybe because I use Bravepipe to avoid seeing YouTube ads – and things like Instagram and TikTok don’t prominently feature comments or flame wars, still it’s a lot of crap. Just show me the hillbilly shit. Or other interesting stuff.

But I realize none of it is particularly healthy for my mind. What is a far better option is to just read a book. It’s never been easier when the whole library is on your phone, you can take out many different books at once, read at your leisure, free of advertising. There is much that can be learned by just sitting back and reading, and with your phone you have it everywhere, you can read in the dark or under the covers.

There is a lot you can learn from YouTube, Wikipedia, and many web sites. But reading a full book gives you a much more in depth view on an issue or topic. It also allows your mind to flow more freely, use your imagination. I am often oft-put by the hokiness of homesteaders videos on the Internet, or bicycle repair videos, but if you read it in a book, you can use your own imagination and your own vision.

Books give you a lot more freedom to create your own images and add your personal spin while learning and being taken to an often unfamiliar world. They don’t have a set speed for reading unlike a movie or audio book, which can often either drag on for too long or skip over something that is truly interesting and remarkable.