The problem with Reels/Shorts/Tik-Toks is the same problem as bringing the whole bag of cookies/chips with you to the couch… one by one they feel so small… so harmless… a few mere calories in your thousands of calories budget…
…Altogether, however, it turns out to be very much the opposite of that.
The illusion of the mini dose is, “What’s one more gonna hurt?” …It’s only a few seconds / few calories out from your day/ my diet… When in reality, one more turns into another one and another one until it’s way more than just one more.
…A few hours and several hundred calories out from your day/ diet.
This is why we don’t bring the whole bag of cookies with us to the couch; we eat a deliberate and mindful portion.
It’s also why I intentionally avoid opening the “bag” of Reels/Shorts/Tik-Toks when I’m on the couch or unwinding on my phone…
And instead, will watch more medium to long-form content on YouTube… things that are portioned, deliberate, and have actual, identifiable conclusions.
It’s choosing to eat a slice of apple pie versus choosing to eat from a bottomless bag of Doritos or Oreos.
…And it is making all the difference.
Inner work prompt: How can you switch from bottomless bag to one slice in your life?