The Ultimate Rawdog
77 Days Without Consuming Media
Last year, for 77 days from October 17th, 2023 until January 2nd, 2024, I did not consume media.
I did not watch youtube videos with dinner or pop in a podcast on the bus. I did not read before bed and I did not listen to music while doing the dishes.
I did not even post on my facebook meme page (!!)
This year, I’d like to do it again and I’d like you to do it with me. In whatever capacity you can.
The Protocol:
Absolutely no scrolling or posting on social media (Twitter/IG/Facebook/etc.)
No videos of any kind (netflix/hulu/anime/youtube/reels/tiktok/etc.)
No porn/masturbation/dating/hookups
No video games
No music // podcasts
No books // reading (outside of necessities, work things, etc.)
All for 77 days, or about 20% of a calendar year. Simple!
Caveats:
Last year, I allowed myself the occasional indulgence. Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron came out and I went to see it in theaters with some friends. I watched the occasional episode of Jujutsu Kaisen with my brother.
These things felt more like social/bonding experiences as opposed to distraction/escapism/numbing which is why they got the pass. I also kept the Messenger app because my IRL friends are on there.
If you decide to come on this journey, please tailor the protocol to yourself however you like. You may want to cut out tiktok but also read more. No problem, you are still welcome, just do what feels right for you.
The Gathering:
I have made a Telegram group chat, posted below. I chose telegram for the accountability chat because it is just messaging and not tied to any of the big platforms. That way if desired we can delete Facebook and the rest from our phones for the duration of The Ultimate Rawdog.
Important Housekeeping:
Telegram has you sign up with a phone number, but you can (and should!) put this on private so no one else can see your phone number.
In the Telegram app go to Settings → Privacy and Security → Phone Number and set to Nobody
Place an app timer on Telegram for about 10 minutes per day
I have a guide on the best way to do this (and reduce phone time overall)
Link to the groupchat is here, and QR here:
The Why:
We have a shocking dearth of many important things. Human connection. Friendship. Reflection. True genuine Yin. So much fake ass yin in the world today.
Media can be a beautiful transformative experience. It can be a completely numbing dissociative emotional crutch. I’ve experienced both.
Who are you when you don’t have 100 billion outside voices coming in through your eyes and ears, pulling your mind and heart and spirit in a different direction every 6 seconds?
What does it feel like to just lay on the kitchen floor for awhile looking at the ceiling?
What becomes of the “boring” parts of your life when there’s nothing else around to entertain you? How does it transform your conversations and connections with other people?
What does it mean to live more quietly, away from the digital noise and closer to things that matter?
Aren’t you itching to find out or for some sort of change??
These are some of the questions at stake. In the grand scheme, this is just a short little experiment. You might do it once and never again.
But something about it last year made me sure I’d do it this year, and every year going forward. Whatever you find in these 77 days I only hope it contributes to your flourishing.
See you on the 17th!
-Cuckfucius