Why You're Scrolling When You Want to Write

Concetta Cucchiarelli
July 05, 2024 | 4 min read

Every time we take out our smartphone, we engage with the same unconscious dilemma: to consume or to create.

Think about it — you could do a million things with a phone. You could compose the next Grammy award-winning piece of music while commuting. You could write a Pulitzer Prize-winning book while queuing for coffee.

But almost always, we end up choosing the same thing: consuming other people's videos, photos, posts, and thoughts.

The Ease of Consumption vs. the Difficulty of Creating

Whether it’s a Netflix series, a video game, a podcast, or just scrolling through the millions of Instagram or TikTok videos available, when we find ourselves bored and fall back on consuming some type of media, the excuses are always the same:

"I deserve it.” “I've been working so hard.” “Just this one and then I'll start working.” “It's only five minutes.”

That is your brain at work, trying to find good reasons for your irrational choices.

That’s because the brain loves consistency and ease. It's "a consistency machine," as Nobel Prize-winning Daniel Kahneman calls it.

To be fair, consuming is not bad in and of itself. On the contrary, it gives us a way to disengage and rest from the energy-consuming self-control process needed to focus and behave the way society tells us we’re supposed to. This disconnect is useful for a limited time — and as long as we know how not to get trapped.

The problem is that the media and platforms we use today are specifically designed to keep us in that loop as long as possible. Simply because while we’re on those platforms, those platforms are making money. Every day, we face a huge amount of content created, on purpose, to keep us hooked.

And there's a biological process keeping us hooked. This is all based on the dopamine reward system, which creates addiction similar to drugs and alcohol.

Dopamine inhibits self-control, so when we are caught in the loop, it's challenging to exit by using merely self-control.

There's a biological process keeping us hooked. This is all based on the dopamine reward system, which creates addiction similar to drugs and alcohol.

On the other end of the spectrum, we love to do creative things, like writing and art, so why is it so hard to get started?

Creating something from nothing — whether that’s writing, painting, or really any kind of problem-solving activity — requires self-control to begin (and keep going), as well as other skills and abilities that require much more mental energy. And the wise brain loves to save energy for when it thinks it is needed.

As the famous stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld once said about writing: it's the most difficult thing in the world. You have to summon a lot of willpower and energy to keep doing it every day. It doesn't happen easily, even if you love it.

To summarize the core of the issue: consuming and creating have two different "access barriers," as we'd call them in business, making one easier than the other.

We don't need too many resources to start consuming, and it gets more and more addictive as we keep going. On the contrary, creating is harder to initiate — and keep up.

To summarize the core of the issue: consuming and creating have two different "access barriers," making one easier than the other.

How to Exit the Consumption Loop

OK, so we understand why we find ourselves scrolling or watching TV so often. But how do we break through that addiction to find a healthy balance between creating our own work and consuming without getting trapped?

Here are a few tips:

1. Plan ahead.

Plan your day with as many details as possible, guaranteeing space for what's essential to you. Planning is the best way to avoid picking up your phone “just for a second.”

2. Keep a "read-later" list.

Save the content you want to read or watch on one list so that when you have time to "waste," you know what to consume without getting carried away.

3. Increase the friction.

Increase your “consumption friction” by removing social media from your phone and using only the desktop version. This will make it more challenging to enter the loop of random consumption and get stuck there.

4. Think long-term.

Every time you are about to start scrolling, try to visualize a clear image of your future self. For example, imagine a fulfilled version of yourself holding the book you wrote. Fulfillment is better than excitement.

5. Ask yourself: “What kind of person am I becoming by consuming this?”

And how will it make you feel? A lot of media these days is designed to infuriate, unsettle, or otherwise solicit a reaction. Before clicking on that video, evaluate whether that’s really what you need affecting your emotions today.

6. Start the morning with a “closed system.”

That’s what Thibaut Meurisse calls it in his book Dopamine Detox — a system without any access to useless stimuli. Don’t hop on Instagram before you get out bed. Get your day started without your phone in your hand, and you’ll feel much better throughout the day.

7. Constantly share your work.

Create excitement for your writing or artwork by sharing it with others. Once other people know you love to do these things, you’ll feel a new accountability and enjoyment for it.

Overall, if you start the day with a good plan, a clear idea of what's essential on your to-do list, and distraction-free technology, you are building the foundations for the most productive and fulfilling day.

Return to "The Psychology of Focus"

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We're just 10 weeks away from a major milestone: the 10th anniversary of Freewrite's launch on Kickstarter.  On December 10, 2014, we introduced the Smart Typewriter, then known as  "Hemingwrite," to the world.
How It Started
In September of 2014, co-founders Adam Leeb and Patrick Paul entered Hemingwrite into the “Insert Coin” hardware competition sponsored by Engadget. Described as a new digital consumer product for distraction-free writing composition, Hemingwrite aimed to deliver a singular focus on a productive writing experience. A decade later, that core mission remains unchanged.
Hemingwrite was one of 20 inventions competing that week, highlighting early-stage hardware startups from around the world that had not yet received funding or shipped to consumers.
"What the Kindle did for reading, we want to do for writing," said co-founder Patrick Paul at the time."We set out to deliver the same distraction-free writing experience of a typewriter with all of the added benefits of modern technology."
Co-founder Adam Leeb added,  "We combined all of the best aspects of the typewriter, theMoleskine, and the computer to create a modern classic."
Althoughthe Hemingwrite concept  didn’t win the competition,  the initial coverage by Engadget led to another press hit and then another and quickly it became a viral sensation around the world. The project was covered in everything from The Wall Street Journal to The Atlantic. Over 125,000 people came to the simple wordpress website at hemingwrite.com and over 8,000 anxiously input their email asking for updates on the project.
Adam and Patrick knew they had something special on their hands but weren’t sure if anyone was willing to pay for this idea or if it was simply interesting. On December 10, 2014 the Kickstarter campaign was launched and immediately the pledge dollars started rolling in. Within 20 hours of launch, the campaign had raised over $200,000! And just like that, the Hemingwrite distraction-free writing tool concept became destined for reality.
How It’s Going
Since that initial launch, we have developed Freewrite into a family of distraction-free writing tools with three distinct models, Smart Typewriter, Traveler, and Alpha. Each has their distinct personality, but the core value of maximizing writer productivity runs throughout. 
In 2020, The original Freewrite Smart Typewriter became part of the Science Museum, London’s permanent Printing & Writing Collection.
The name Hemingwrite was dropped in 2015 and then revived in 2021 with the Ernest Hemingway Special Edition Smart Typewriter in partnership with the Ernest Hemingway Estate. 
We’ve created Sprinter for distraction-free writing in any browser and WTF where thousands of people every week receive a writing prompt and participate in Writing Time Friday. 
The community's achievements over the past decade have been  astounding:
  • Freewrite users have created over 600,000 documents
  • Collectively,users have written more than 605 million words (equivalent to over 6,000 novels!)
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been 10 years but it also feels like we are just getting started.
To kick things off:
One Year Warranty: Now Standard
We are extending our warranty that covers manufacturer’s defects to a full year on all Freewrite devices. This means you can enjoy your Freewrite with even greater peace of mind, knowing that we've got you covered for an entire year. 

For more information, please visit our dedicated article on our new warranty policy here: Introducing Freewrite's New 1-Year Warranty: Our Commitment to You
Thank You
As we reflect on 10 years, we're filled with gratitude for the amazing writers who have made Freewrite an essential part of their process. Your passion has shaped our products and fueled our mission.  
Here's to the next decade of your writing success!
 
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As of October 1, 2024, we are extending our standard warranty that covers manufacturer’s defects to a full year on all Freewrite devices. This means you can enjoy your Freewrite with even greater peace of mind, knowing that we've got you covered for a full 12 months from the date of shipment. We’re even retroactively applying the warranty extension to purchases made this year.

Here is how our new 1-year warranty will work:
  • Beginning October 1, 2024, all new purchases now have a 12-month warranty standard from the shipment date.
  • All device purchases made in 2024 will now have 12-month warranty coverage from the shipment date.
    • For example, if your device shipped on March 1, 2024, your warranty would have expired on May 30, 2024, but will now expire on March 1, 2025.
  • If you purchased an Extended Warranty in addition to your device in 2024, you will receive both the new 12-month standard warranty coverage from the date of shipment, as well as the additional coverage period from your paid extended warranty.
    • For example, if your device shipped on March 1, 2024, with a 2-year Extended Warranty:
      • Your standard warranty now expires on March 1, 2025, instead of May 30, 2024.
      • Your 2-year Extended Warranty coverage will begin on March 1, 2025, and continue until March 1, 2027.



Your trust in our products is paramount to us, and this warranty extension reflects our dedication to your satisfaction and our confidence in the quality and reliability of our devices.

Thank you for choosing Freewrite; we look forward to serving you for many years to come. Write on!

 

- The Freewrite Team



Important Notes:

  • For devices purchased in 2023 or earlier, the original 90-day warranty applies, in addition to any paid Extended Warranty coverage.
  • If you purchased your device in 2023 or earlier, without an Extended Warranty, unfortunately, your warranty has now expired.
  • We are unable to offer refunds for prior out-of-warranty repairs.

 

Useful Links:

Official Freewrite Warranty Policy

Warranty Support Doc