So, here is my personal system on how I’ve streamlined my content consumption on the Internet. Let’s begin.
How to Use Internet Effectively
Articles
For the unknown, Feedly is an RSS reader, which lets you subscribe to your favourite blogs or YouTube channels, and whenever they publish a new article or video, it automatically appears in your Feedly dashboard. Simply put, instead of going to 20 different websites each day, all that content comes to me. Here is our detailed guide on how to use Feedly effectively. Best time to check out Feedly is either in the morning so, that you can play your day accordingly.
Podcast
When it comes to podcasts, most people recommend apps such as Pocketcast or Podcast Addict, however, I’ll suggest you try YouTube Premium instead. For as low as $3 in India ($12 in the U.S), YouTube Premium not only gives you an ad-free YouTube but also adds background playback. Before the YouTube premium, I was using the Pocketcast app to listen to the podcast from Joe Rogan, CGP Grey, etc. But since most Podcasts publishers also published their episode on YouTube, it makes little sense to use an extra app. Best time to listen to podcasts is either before going to bed or while doing the daily chore.
Books
So, far we have used Feedly to read blogs, and YouTube Premium for videos and podcast. But what about those books you don’t seem to have time to read? The answer is Audible. Much like the RSS reader, I’ve been using Audible for the past 5 years now and it’s one of the most productive habits, I’ve developed over time. I’ve listened to many books with I would have never read otherwise. I usually listen to non-fiction on Audible and if you are interested in my reading list, feel free to drop an email or tweet me. Best time to listen to Audible is either when you are taking a walk or doing the daily chore.
And that’s where Reddit comes in. Now, If you spend a lot of time online, you might already know what Reddit is, but in case you don’t, Reddit is an online forum where people discuss their interest in a smaller community called subreddit. Some of my favourite subreddit includes AskReddit, Android, RoastMe, Movie Suggestion, and Psychology. My favourite thing about Reddit is, unlike blogs and videos, where you are exposed to only one person’s idea, Reddit, on the other hand, help you see things from multiple perspectives. Best time to enjoy reddit is during lunch breaks or when you are doing mindless tasks such as waiting for someone.
Apps
Pretty much every sector has some sought of paid subscription services that offer quality content that isn’t available otherwise on the web. For example, Google News app should work for most people irrespective of their niche. As the name suggests, Google news offers instant news from fairly reliable sources. However, if you want something exclusive, try Havard business review or Financial Times, it offers research papers, biographies on leadership, company management, etc. First few reads are free and then you have to pay a monthly subscription to read more. Best time to consume news is throughout the day in small breaks.
Closing Words
Overall, these were some of the ways to efficiently consume data on the Internet, rather than wasting your time on social media. My ideal day starts with Feedly and ends with Podcast with a little bit of Reddit and Google News in between. And if I get time to go out for a walk, I listen to my favourite books on Audible. The idea is to make a system that makes sure all the latest and best content comes to you rather than you scrounging the Internet. It might take some time to get used to this system, and many people I know quit halfway. But if you can pass that learning curve the results are wonderful in the long run.
