Hi Friend,

If I have a superpower, it's probably this: I'm immune to social media.

It's been years since I've used Twitter or any Twitter-like app. (I know the name has changed but the last time I used it was long before that.) I've never gotten hooked. Never felt that pull to scroll. Never lost hours to the feed.

Until last month.

I decided to give Instagram a real shot. Just to see what all the fuss was about. I figured maybe I'd been missing something.

The algorithm was terrifyingly good. Within 30 minutes, my feed was perfectly curated: intricate woodworking joinery, bonsai care techniques, people tying complex knots, and yes, cute puppies. It was like Instagram had crawled inside my brain and said, "We got you."

For about a week, I found myself reaching for my phone in the evening. Just a little scrolling. Nothing serious. But it became part of the routine.

Then something shifted.

All the knots started looking the same. The joinery techniques blurred together. Even the puppies felt repetitive. And I caught myself watching someone else tend to their bonsai trees while mine sat on the bench outside, waiting for attention.

That's when it clicked. I'd rather be doing these things than watching other people do them.

Maybe it's because I grew up without this stuff. My brain didn't get wired for infinite scroll during those critical years. Or maybe I just prefer the smell of sawdust to the glow of a screen.

Whatever the reason, the spell broke. I got back to my actual hobbies.

Here's what surprised me most: the algorithm got my interests right, but it couldn't account for the fact that I'm happiest when I'm making things, not consuming content about making things.

Social media companies have spent billions figuring out how to keep us engaged. They're incredibly good at it. But they can't replicate the satisfaction of actually doing the work.

If you find yourself scrolling through content about your hobbies more than you're actually doing them, maybe try this: spend one evening doing the thing instead of watching other people do it. See which one feels better.

I'm betting on the doing.

Your pal,

David

P.S. Do you want to help me out? Why not recommend this newsletter to a friend?​

​Read this post on macsparky.com​
​
​Shortform Makes Reading Worth Your Time (Sponsor)

This newsletter is sponsored by Shortform. I read a lot of books. The problem is that there is a temptation just to finish a book and move on. The real payoff from a book is engaging with its ideas. That's where Shortform has become genuinely useful for me.

​
I've been using Shortform for over three years now, and what keeps me coming back isn't just the summaries. It's the exercises. After each chapter summary, they give you thoughtful questions to work through. Not quiz questions to test if you were paying attention. Real questions that make you apply the ideas to your own life.

The summaries themselves come in three flavors. There's the quick overview if you just want to know what a book is about. Then a one-page summary that hits the main points. And finally, the full guide that goes deep. I usually start with the overview, and if it hooks me, I'll read the full thing. Sometimes that's enough. Sometimes it convinces me to buy the book.

​
What I appreciate most is how they explain complicated ideas without dumbing them down. Books that would normally make my eyes glaze over become clear. They connect concepts across different books too, which helps you see patterns you'd miss otherwise.

​
The practical stuff works well. Everything syncs to Kindle and Readwise. You can download PDFs. The search actually finds what you're looking for. And they've added coverage of longform articles and current topics beyond just books, which has been handy.
​

They cover over 1,000 books now, with new ones added regularly. If you're tired of forgetting what you read or want to get more out of the books you do finish, give Shortform a look and get $50 OFF at shortform.com/davidsparks.