>I don't like to use social networks, but that's what I fall back on when I have a few minutes to spare. I rarely look at my list of articles I've saved for later — who has time for that?

Plenty of people. Ever push an article to a reader view service and see how long it takes to read? Most articles posted here on HN or the nyt front page can be read in 3-5 mins. Occasionally you'd get a 20 min slog.

I used to use social media way more, and by far my biggest wastes of time on the platform were those spare minutes you get a dozen times a day. On the elevator, waiting for the bus, waiting on food, anytime I could sit still the phone went out and my head went down because that's what everyone around me was also doing while waiting on their coffee.

Eventually I realized I was just idly scrolling and not retaining anything at all from those 30s-2m sessions on instagram. Just chomping visual popcorn. Now, anytime I have a spare 10 mins, I'll read an article or two from my reading list. Anytime I have less than a spare 10 mins, I'll twiddle my thumbs and keep the phone in the pocket.

I used to be much more scatterbrained and had trouble winding down for the evening and getting good rest. Now, I feel like a monk.