‘I’d scroll Twitter in the street, in the office – even in the loo’

In the first grey dawn of 2018, I turned to someone trustworthy and handed them my phone: “Change the password, remember it, and don’t tell me what it is.”

It was open on Twitter – the web version. I’d deleted the app, along with that for Facebook, several years ago, but my endless scroll habits had barely waned. I’d scroll in the street; I’d scroll walking through the corridors of the office; I’d scroll, shamefully, in the loo.

I would occasionally find the germ of a news story. But mostly it was digital flotsam, interrupting me from whatever I was meant to be doing.

In November, after six weeks of reporting on Hollywood’s sexual misconduct scandal – much of which was unfolding through Twitter – I logged off and went to California for a leisurely work trip. I managed to stay off Twitter for three weeks, and it was restorative.

Back in Blighty, the same bad habits crept back in: I could feel my attention span shrinking, my mood noticeably darken. I wasn’t learning anything new. Worse, it was actually making me feel bad.

So I’m stopping. I’m no longer posting, nor checking my notifications. I’m going to miss the excellent reads I found on Twitter, and the feeling of being part of a conversation that seems to begin before the headlines do. I’m also going to miss the people I talk to on there. I rely on Twitter trends and search function for work purposes, so I’ll continue to use those – but without the compelling circle of new notifications, I won’t dive back into my own feed.

I know the brain space I’ll get back will reap rewards: there are work projects to focus on, books to be read and life experiences to be enjoyed. Already, I’m enjoying not checking Twitter the minute I wake up.

I don’t know when I’ll log back on. Maybe at the end of January, maybe beyond that. Maybe never.