Do feeds actually save you time, or just feel productive?
by•
Every feed today claims to be “better curated” or “more relevant.”
But most of them still measure success by how long you stay.
I’ve caught myself opening Twitter or YouTube to check one specific thing, then resurfacing 30–45 minutes later,
wondering where the time went.
Curious how this plays out for others here.
When you open a feed for a quick check, how long do you actually stay?
And does it usually feel worth it after?
Genuine question. Interested in real experiences, not hot takes.
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Replies
Great question that exposes a fundamental problem. I think the issue isn't the feed itself, but its business model. It's optimized not to give you a quick answer, but to keep your attention for as long as possible, so getting lost in it for 45 minutes isn't a bug, it's a feature of the system.
Trace
@whitbyjon Exactly. That’s the uncomfortable part.
Once the business model is attention, the feed can’t optimize for “you got what you needed and left.” It has to stretch every interaction, add frictionless depth, and keep nudging you toward the next thing.
So spending 45 minutes isn’t a failure of self-control. It’s the system working as designed.
Way longer than intended. I’ll open something for a quick check and suddenly realize I’ve been passively scrolling. It almost never feels like the time traded was intentional.