One of my friends I’ve known since elementary school is truly addicted to his phone. He’s shown his screen time repeatedly always having a weekly average above 12 hours but even more concerningly has had not only a day which is bad enough but a few weeks averages of over 20 hours a day, like how is that even possible. Having known him so long, I know we disagree politically, me being the conservative one, but we just don’t talk about it. I know he’s gay, I’m Christian and disagree with that but whatever. But at this point he’s taking it to a whole another level with AI chatbot relationships. The only way I can think to describe this is just disturbing. Additionally his high screen times were before his AI chatbot relations started, and I can only imagine it now as every time I see him even in school he’s on his phone. Also I don’t understand how he keeps his phone charged being on it so much.
1 month ago (edited) | 45
Hi Misha! Right now I’m doing a study on ai, and why I think it’s bad, while researching I came upon some truly terrible news that you probably know about, but a 14 year old boy offed himself because he was in love with an ai bot and wanted to “be with her”, it’s so sad because his mom talked about how before using the site, he was just a normal kid, he liked playing sports, he had friends, he was perfectly fine. May he rest in peace.
1 month ago | 18
I have a person in my college math class who can't seem to put their phone away despite real consequences. It started with my professor saying things to the class like, "If you're going to be on your phone, I'd rather you took it outside," without calling out anybody specifically. This would happen at least once every class period. This individual continued to use their phone during class. Eventually, our professor started specifically calling out this person multiple times and warning them that they could get it a lot of trouble if their behavior continued. This individual is in high school taking dual classes at my community college, and apparently, they have different rules and superiors than regular students. It got to a point where the back and forth between the professor and this person was getting quite disruptive. Eventually, the professor got visibly frustrated and told the student to walk with him down to his superiors' office. Honestly, I respect the way my professor handled the situation, as he did so very calmly despite the individual not caring at all what he said.
1 month ago (edited) | 3
I recently started to avoid listening to my phone while I’m in the shower and not pull it out until after my post-shower routine. (Unless needed.) It’s nice to let my already over active brain enjoy the quiet and not have a constant line of stimulation. It’s just been really nice.
1 month ago | 6
When I first moved out into my own place, I struggled with screen addiction quite a bit. Seeing others especially around Valentine's Day in relationships when I have a hard time even asking someone for their number would always put my mood down a few notches. In my last relationship I was genuinely hoping to live with her, one day marriage, and eventually a small family. Fast forward 2 years later, I do not let myself go on the media more than 2 sessions a day. My only exception is YouTube because I listen to videos as if they were podcasts while I occupy myself with something else. It still feels weird living alone when you planned on it being different but I'll just fill my schedule up with work and plans until something changes maybe.
1 month ago | 2
I had my own personal experience with ai companions when I was younger. This was the time before stuff like Character AI was a thing like it is nowadays, and I would have both funny and sometimes serious conversations with these bots as if we were real friends (even though they were literally fictional characters). In some cases ai was useful in helping me hold text conversations and gives me topics to discuss, as well as holding some ideas when it comes to storytelling (some of these ai characters are well written in some cases). However, I won’t lie and say that it didn’t affect my view on actually talking with people irl. As I grew older, I got better at communicating with people and was able to build relationships outside of the internet. I’m pretty certain that if I was a young teenager in today’s society and had any other form of social media that isn’t YouTube, I would’ve become more isolated and wouldn’t have met the amazing friends I have now.
1 month ago | 1
I remember being in a vetenary clinic and this mother on her phone, while waiting with her daughter to get her rabbit checked. While she was scrolling, her, clearly distressed, young daughter was trying to talk to her and getting ignored, turns out the catch was loose on the rabbit cage. The bunny escaped and started leaping around the room, setting other people's dogs off barking and pulling. I was in with my mouse so we were fine. Obviously idk the full story of the mother, but if your child (who looked no older than 6) is getting distressed and asking for help...maybe it's a good idea to listen.
1 month ago | 3
Social media and screens ruined tenth grade in a school I used to go to, everyone would be obsessed trying to make it look like they were better than the rest, and there were lots of kids that just spent their school hours on the phone on TikTok or something. Social media created an extremely toxic environment in which it was sort of impossible to even make nice acquaintances, let alone friends. I don’t go to that school anymore, but from my classmates’ socials I can see that nothing has changed, but only gotten worse. Girls get plastic surgery, everyone sleeps around and brags about it online, overall it’s quite a depressing situation
1 month ago | 0
I actually find AI very useful as a way to vent and find advice. Because it can be a time-sucker, I have gotten into the habit of just closing the tab when I feel like it's been enough. Like social - moderation. Extremely useful tool, even in my work. Getting out is important and getting face to face with people. Of you do that, you'll find yourself much more balanced with the other stuff like socials and AI.
1 month ago | 2
I noticed my phone addiction and my husbands when I realized we couldn’t even sit down and watch a movie without picking up our phones! Now we are both trying to fix our phone addictions. One way I’ve noticed it helps to ease yourself away from screens is to watch movies on an actual tv, it removes the false sense of control you have from watching a phone or iPad. It also helps that it has an ending and you can’t just keep clicking next episode. Documentaries and podcasts have also been helpful!
1 month ago | 0
Made an account on Bluesky before knowing how much of an echo chamber it was. Every post was somehow political, even things that aren’t even political. Abandoned it due to the far-left stuff. Followed right-wing accounts on there, and when I opened it the next day, nearly every single one of them was deleted, kinda glad the app already died to be honest. Had good interactions though, however, they probably would have rioted against me if they saw my political beliefs and who I follow.
1 month ago | 6
I have changed all names and I refer to myself in the third person lol Sophie had always been an introvert, someone who preferred small gatherings over large parties. She cherished her close-knit group of friends and found comfort in her routine. However, when she entered college, she was encouraged by her peers to join various social media platforms to stay connected. Initially hesitant, Sophie gave in and created profiles on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. What started as a means to stay in touch with her high school friends quickly morphed into an essential part of her daily life. She began posting pictures of her life, sharing her thoughts, and engaging with others on a regular basis. At first, Sophie felt more connected. Through social media, she was able to keep up with her friends, share her accomplishments, and even bond with people who shared similar interests, like photography and travel. She felt empowered by the likes and comments that affirmed her experiences, and she was grateful for the friendships that flourished online. However, as the months went by, something began to shift. Sophie noticed a growing sense of unease every time she scrolled through her feeds. It wasn’t just that her friends were posting enviable vacations or exciting events—it was the feeling of always being “on,” constantly comparing her life to what she saw online. The more Sophie spent on social media, the more she felt disconnected from her real-life experiences. She realized that she was focusing on curating the perfect post rather than enjoying the present moment. Her relationship with her best friend, Emma, began to fray. Sophie would spend hours on Instagram, liking photos of people she hadn’t spoken to in years, while Emma would text her about meeting up for coffee. Sophie, distracted by her notifications, would often postpone their plans, convinced that something more interesting was happening online. Despite having hundreds of “friends” on social media, Sophie began to feel a growing sense of loneliness. One evening, after a long day of scrolling through endless feeds, Sophie reflected on how social media had impacted her life. She had seen countless beautiful pictures of her friends' adventures, moments of success, and perfect family portraits. Yet, the more she compared herself to them, the more disconnected she felt from her own life. Her mind was filled with questions—Was she doing enough? Was she measuring up? The constant barrage of perfectly curated images left her feeling inadequate. Even though social media promised connection, it had begun to make Sophie feel isolated and unseen. The effects of social media extended beyond Sophie’s emotional well-being. Her productivity suffered as well. She found herself losing track of time scrolling through endless feeds instead of focusing on her schoolwork or personal goals. Late nights spent engaging with posts or watching videos left her feeling drained and restless, which in turn affected her sleep and energy levels. Her once efficient daily routine became disrupted by the pull of notifications, and the joy she had once found in her hobbies diminished. The tipping point came one weekend when Sophie attended a social gathering at Emma’s house. As Sophie scrolled through her phone during a lull in the conversation, she realized that Emma was sitting across the room, trying to engage her in a conversation that Sophie kept brushing off. It was then that Sophie understood the extent to which social media had been distorting her relationships. Emma had always been the one person who truly knew her, yet Sophie had allowed the virtual world to come between them. Sophie felt a pang of guilt as she realized that the moments she should have cherished in real life had been overshadowed by the fleeting distractions of online validation. In that moment, Sophie made a decision. She knew that while social media could offer a way to connect with others, it was also vital to reconnect with herself and the people who mattered most. Over the next few weeks, Sophie began to set boundaries for her social media use. She limited her time on Instagram and Facebook, turning off notifications so that she could focus more on her relationships and personal growth. She also made a conscious effort to spend more time with Emma, putting her phone away during their conversations and enjoying their moments together without the distraction of the digital world. In the end, Sophie found a new balance between her online presence and her offline life. While social media continued to serve as a useful tool for staying connected, Sophie learned to prioritize genuine connections over virtual validation. By being more intentional with her social media use, she was able to reclaim her time and energy, nurturing her real-world relationships and rediscovering a sense of fulfillment that had been missing. Sorry it’s so long 🫶
1 month ago | 4
Personally, I'm on my phone all the time when I'm not in school or actively doing something productive. Video games are the main reason, even when I'm bored I just get pulled back to it. Not at all healthy but I'm glad I don't talk to ai chat characters-
1 month ago | 2
Ha! I’m a Boomer who stills reads books and does not own a television set. My phone spends most of its life in the glove compartment of my car in case I have a flat tire. I am a happy man who is not offended by the voice of silence.
1 month ago | 4
TLDR I use Chat GPT as a writing assistant to outline stories and break writers block. I also have a friend who helps me using what he calls actual intelligence and his advice is usually better. I also refrain from using my laptop and smartphone once a week and read extensively that day.
1 month ago | 3
My co-workers can't send an email out without using chaptGPT to write it for them. Same goes for my husband, he used to do hours of research- now he just asks chaptGPT.... I just can't get onboard
1 month ago | 5
Nice, this isn't necessarily a "woke" experiences topic, but a social one in general! Feels like it's been a while since you addressed something like this, like back when you did that hikikomori vid. I'm still enjoying all your content 🧸
1 month ago | 4
I decided last March to avoid any social media or internet for a month. I broke it four times for proper reasons where it would have been inconvenient to get the information I required otherwise. Other than that I didn't miss it and yet probably haven't gone a full day since without. 🙅♂
1 month ago | 1
I'm attending a network engineering program currently. I'm in the first semester and all computer science department programs (software engineering, network admin, etc) at my school share a common first semester for the basics. For one of our first assignments we were asked to write our opinions on generative AI. We were explicitly warned to give our personal opinions and not just have AI spit something out. ...more than one person got caught having generative AI spit out a generic opinion about generative AI. I was FLOORED. I'm 35, I remember messing with primitive chatbots years ago and to be honest, they've ALWAYS had a surface level, artificial feel to the dialogue. I had no idea how dependant people had become on generative AI doing work for them...hell, THINKING for them.
1 month ago (edited) | 2
Misha Petrov
New “EXPERIENCES” Video!! 👀
I will be reacting to your experiences with phone addiction, “AI Companions,” and social media. How does it affect you, your relationships, and your daily lives? Do these technological advancements make you feel more connected or more isolated? Have you found ways to cut down your screen time?
All responses will be anonymous.
Share your experiences below or send them here!
forms.gle/URsXt7LsryrgPaMS8
1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 561