Michael Calore: Yes.
Lauren Good: Yes.
Michael Calore: What about you, Zoey?
Zoe Schieffer: My total screen time. I actually watched it first and I think it's been like three hours and 40 minutes on my phone, which honestly sounds impressive to me. You're frowning, Mike, why are you doing that? Only a few minutes of this are actually on social media apps. I think I deserve a Medal of Honor.
Michael Calore: You truly deserve the Medal of Honor. I have a timer on my phone that goes off after I've been on Instagram for more than 20 minutes. I hit that timer every day.
Lauren Good: This is no joke. He follows it. I've sent Mike memes before and then gotten no response, and because we work in each other's newsrooms, I'll literally walk over to his desk sometimes and be like, “Did you see that thing I sent you? ?”
Zoe Schieffer: It is thirsty.
Lauren Good: no I know. He'll say, “No, I'm out of time,” and I'll say, “You're following that? Check the meme.”
Michael Calore: Have you ever thought about closing apps?
Lauren Good: All the time.
Michael Calore: all the time?
Lauren Good: I fantasize about it right now. What would it be like to not constantly feel like you had to broadcast something?
Michael Calore: Yes. What about you, Zoey?
Zoe Schieffer: Honestly, I don't rely on them that much, but I've been on parental leave for a few months, so the answer is that I think about turning off my phone all the time and I'm honestly surprised. That's how much time I can spend. I'm not even using social media apps on my phone. How are you?
Michael Calore: I often feel like throwing the phone across the room and never looking at it again, but then I always pick it up and turn it back on.
Lauren Good: This usually happens when I send him a terrible meme.
Michael Calore: Yes, or I think a joke.
Lauren Good: Correct.
Michael Calore: Now we should skate. Yes. Well, that's what we're talking about today: Is it time to get off social media? And because there are so many types of social apps and platforms out there, we're going to focus on the platforms we use the most, text-based social sites, because we're word people. This is from WIRED uncanny valleyA show about the people, power and influence of Silicon Valley. I'm Michael Calor, director of consumer technology and culture here at WIRED.