Too many emails? Can’t keep up with social media? Don’t know which alerts are legitimate and which are just spam or phishing scams? Don’t know what “phishing” is?
Besides just totally abandoning your computer or phone, how can a conscientious but time conscious person stay sane in this world of internet overload?
These are important modern issues but more complicated than I can deal with in one post or that I’m qualified to advise on. The purpose of this post is simply to remind you to be careful, share my own system for limiting email, and point you to some helpful resources.
Limiting email:
- Don’t “reply to all” unless it’s a small group or “all” really need to know your opinion.
- Unsubscribe from organizational/political groups that you are not actively involved with.
- Set a limit for active emails. My desktop computer can show 22 emails on the screen so I try to keep no more than that in my Primary tab. Gmail helps by having a promotional tab which captures most unsolicited emails which I mostly ignore.
Social Media:
- Limit how often you check it. For me, once a day is usually plenty.
- Limit how many sites you follow. I put this blog on Facebook and Instagram but I’m getting off of Twitter and other sites.
- Only post stuff that your audience cares to know about. Every trip does not have to be documented.
Other resources:
- Several years ago I did a more complete blog titled 365+#100: TMI-Computers. It has a lot more detailed info.
- Many computer security systems offer information on safe practices. For example: Which phishing scams are trending in 2022?
- Consult with unbiased experts when unsure. (Often this means someone younger than you – if you’re my age.) One source that I trust is my brother who recently did a whimsical but true post on evaluating snail mail and email titled Urgent=Not Urgent. Enjoy.
This is not my area of expertise, but simply ways I’ve found to keep my online work manageable. I welcome knowledgeable reader input.
