Write your target and set a 5-minute timer before opening…

When This Fires

• Before opening any social media platform for any reason
• When you catch yourself reaching for a social app without a specific purpose
• During work hours when a social media check feels necessary for a work-related reason
• Any time the impulse to open a social platform arises

Common Failure Mode

Opening the app before writing the target: "I'll figure out what I'm looking for once I'm in there." This is the engagement trap. Without a pre-written target, you have no retrieval criterion, which means you have no basis for knowing when to stop. The target must be written before the app opens — not typed into the search bar after you've already been exposed to the feed.

The Protocol

Before any social media access: (1) Write your specific target on paper or in a note (not on the platform): "Find the thread about X that Y posted" or "Check if Z responded to my question." (2) Set a 5-minute timer. (3) Open the app. Search for or navigate directly to your target. (4) When the timer fires: close the app immediately, whether or not you found the target. (5) If the target wasn't found: decide whether to try a different search strategy later, not whether to keep scrolling now.