Are you constantly falling prey to social media algorithms? Do you find yourself spending too much time scrolling through Instagram, watching one too many YouTube videos, and reading Threads and Tweets for hours on end?

The Yogis teach that we all are spirit and have tools for our expression. Our body and our mind. In the same way, we have more apps than ever at our fingertips. And they also allow us to express ourselves.

With the launch of Threads, Meta’s version of Twitter, we have yet another social media profile to keep up with, if we want to, of course. And so, it’s really easy to become overwhelmed.

These apps are amazing tools if used properly. But they are also addictive and you can easily find yourself spending more time than you should. Or caring too much about the validation you get from your ‘online’ friends.

The only thing we can do to protect ourselves from algorithms that are designed to keep us using the app and make us addicted is to work on ourselves. So that we have the discipline and discerning abilities to choose what's best for us and use those apps as tools.

Do you think big tech companies will change? That they will make apps less addictive? That their algorithms will be regulated? Of course not. That would mean less people using the apps. Less users equals less profit. That’s why it’s best to work on yourself. You can’t control those companies or new technologies. What you control is your own mind.

If you use a hammer, you wield it with purpose and precision, hammering nails to bring some pieces of wood together. After using it, imagine if you carried the hammer with you everywhere, as if it was inseparable from your hand. You’d be burdened and annoyed by the weight of the tool. The hammer’s presence would distract you from experiencing your immediate surroundings.

And so it is with the tools of technology - the web, Google, YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok, LinkedIn, etc. These apps, like the hammer, serve their purpose when used with discernment and intention. But be wary of falling into the trap of incessant consumption, allowing these tools to suck you in their algorithms. The infinite scroll of Instagram, the endless stream of videos, the threads and tweets, captivating as they may be, can become chains that bind us to an endless loop of distraction.

Maybe this is a silly analogy, but you get the point. Use these tools for their intended purpose, to enhance your understanding, express yourself, to grow your business, connect with people, or to find inspiration. But when you are done using them, have the strength to lay them down, to unburden yourself from their weight, and to engage with the world around you, absorbing its wonders and savoring the sweet essence of existence. Or don’t use the tools at all.

For in the balance of purposeful use and conscious restraint, lies the path to wisdom and self-mastery. Lao Tzu once said,

Turn off notifications and only use them when you need or want to. Set timers when using them. Hide them in the last page of your phone. Help yourself with simple tactics to prevent wasting precious time. Work on improving the control of your impulses, emotions and desires. Cultivate the willpower that’s necessary to use any tool, instead of them using you.