The Day I Reclaimed My Attention Sovereignty from Social Media
I happened to come across Episode 43 of the podcast Kangso Pod on Spotify: ⟨How to Live as a Master in the Digital World⟩. Hosted by two podcasters named Kang Dan and So Shin, I initially just played it as background noise for a nap. But Kang Dan's perspective on reclaiming sovereignty in the digital world resonated deeply with me, and I found myself listening with growing interest. It's been about four years since I started blocking all ads, turning off every notification, stopping YouTube viewing history, and avoiding Reels and Shorts because I hated being trapped in algorithmic bubbles. Kang Dan recommended Social Focus or wiper2. While I haven't fully felt the effects of wiper2 yet, socialfocus is absolutely the best app for social media addicts like me.
How to Use socialfocus
- First, search for socialfocus in the App Store and install it. As of today (2025-02-09), it's a paid app costing 4,400 won. Considering it prevents wasting time endlessly scrolling through social media, it's incredibly cheap.
- When you open the app, you'll see a tutorial video. It's very simple. Go to Settings, enable the extension in Safari, and then allow SocialFocus access to your desired social media platforms.
- Now, open Safari, search for Instagram in the address bar, and go there. Then, configure the extension settings as you like. The truly amazing part is that I can now control all the points Instagram uses to keep users hooked and grab their attention. As a former service planner, it stings a little (well, not really), but this is it… this is how you break free from the attention economy. That such an extension exists in the world—Long live Gangso-pat! Long live Gangdan-nim! Thank you.
- With Sponsors, Reels, and Stories all gone and everything in gray mode, I'm not binge-watching like before. Of course, it's only been half a day, so I'll need to see how it goes. I'll use it for about three months and document my experience.
- I've set up similar configurations for Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube too. And I deleted the apps entirely! Whew… Today, I reclaimed my attention sovereignty from social media. I was so happy that after finishing all the settings, I went for a walk around the neighborhood watching magpies. It felt amazing—finally putting change into practice in my life, about two and a half years
after reading Jenny Odell's How to Do Nothing
