I’ve been on a Twitter break for the past two and a half weeks.

A couple of Sundays ago I decided to avoid Twitter for the day. I just needed a break from the constant news misery. One day became two days, which became three days, and now it’s been 18 days. I’ve tweeted a couple of times, and I’ve looked at a couple of non-news-related Twitter accounts once or twice, but I have not actually checked my feed since that Sunday.

I’ve still been following the news, but only by going directly to particular newspaper websites, like the New York Times and the Washington Post, and occasionally a news magazine site or two. I’ve basically turned the clock back on my information consumption about ten years.

I don’t miss the constant updates and anger and doomsaying about every news event large and small, and you-know-who’s looming presence over everything.

I do kind of miss seeing friends’ updates on what they’ve been up to and having jokey Twitter exchanges with acquaintances – the things that pass for being social on Twitter.

I will see how long this lasts. Even though I miss some things, I’m afraid to re-engage with the blue bird, because it has an addictive quality that I find I want to avoid. For now, it’s nice being away from it.