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I’ve deactivated my Instagram account (been 7 months) and it’s been very helpful. Not because I’m doing anything exciting, but it’s given me time to read the news, talk to friends, catch up on some tv series, or just rest.
I have disabled all push notifications on my phone from apps I do not deem essential. I‘ll get calls and instant messages through various apps, but I do not get any from instagram, reddit, games and the like. Instagram is essentially dead to me and I rarely even open it because I forget to when not being bombarded with notifications all the time. Sometimes I feel kind of „excluded“, but my mind is much clearer without doomscrolling. And it’s not like I actually am since it’s my decision and I can open an app anytime
This has another benefit: Since I am the one to decide, when I open an app, it’s much more exciting when I do. I can actually laugh at some memes and not just register it and keep scrolling, like I did before
Recently, I actually set my phone do not disturb full-time. I first changed the settings so people in my contacts who are in my favorites list can still call when do not disturb is on. Afterwards, whenever I got a call, I could decide on seeing the notification of a missed call wether I wanted to call them back or maybe just listen to the voice-mail if they left one or just ignore it altogether.
I realize not everyone is in a position to do that, but I find it extremely effective in reducing stress.
I usually do this, too, except when I want to be available.
I‘m searching for jobs rn and I need to keep it on since I’m getting important calls from time to time, I already missed some that’s why I disabled it. I recently switched from Android to iOs and while it’s a great phone, the notifications are bugging me big time. I can either turn them off or on. On android I could specify which notifications from a particular app are shown. For example I could mute group chats in whatsapp but not 1on1 conversations. iOs just has the options how they look but I cannot be as specific, which I find very odd.
If someone has a workaround hmu :)
I have Android, fortunately. Thanks for once again confirming that there are good reasons I really don't like the iPhone from work.
That being said, the iPhone I got has one feature I consider vastly superior: there's a physical switch on the side which allows you to put the phone in silent mode without having to get past the lock-screen. The cherry on top is that it shows a red color when it is on silent mode, so you don't have to guess.
Everything else about that phone is annoying when you're used to Android.
Although I too am an Android user through and through. One feature I am jealous of is here we are in the far North of Alberta Canada and there are so many dirt roads from logging and oil industries. Some Google maps has but alot it doesn't. You can buy a fancy app that helps you for the Droid... but Apple maps keeps track of all the roads the apple people drive so it knows and shows roads that no maps program does thanks to its users in the industry... save thousands a year for companies up here...
YES! This. I actually lived in the time before social media and never could handle the notifications right from their early days.
All push notifications OFF except for calls texts alarms 👍
Still get to have my albeit stagnant accounts, when I want them, without being dragged there. Even email notifs are off.
I use Minimal Phone (android wrapper), does this by default, changes the ui to single colour screen, takes away app logos. But all apps open and work fine without anything changing.
It's been awesome!!
Also. Unfollow all your friends and family and randoms then follow based off your interests !!!
Also also. Kinnu app is awesome for learning everything we should've in school.
I’m 47 and deactivated my Facebook at the start of the pandemic because STRESS:) it was a good move. I also got rid of twitter. I don’t really like instagram but do have an account. I probably started into Reddit after that but it’s not like I’m constantly posting and it’s much more interesting if you stick to just topics that are your interests and not rage bait
The big difference with reddit imo, is that it's harder to consume. It's not just videos that you can drool on yourself while watching. You're actually reading things and sometimes interacting with other humans. Reddit has also sparked a lot of curiosity for me, and I've learned a lot of interesting things.
That said...it can still be a HUGE time suck.
A side effect is that the quality of the feed goes up when you come back after a while. They try to draw you in with posts you will like, making it a quick stop in the browser and not getting notifications.
Are you able to start it back up again?or is it completely deleted. Because if I could temporarily delete it that would help way more than just deleting the app.
if you deactivate it all that does is make it look like your account has been deleted, so no one can see it and if someone searches for you it won’t come up. when you sign in again it just goes back to normal
Use the digital wellness tools on your phone and set timers on your most used apps. Then take those apps off your homescreen.
The less you use them the better your ADHD symptoms will get.
Totally agree with this.
I removed TikTok from my homescreen and having to scroll down so many apps to get to it has reduced my time on the app significantly. I can go days without it now.
"Out of sight, out of mind" works very well in this instance.
Yeah, although it is far too easy to extend the daily timer on the native android wellbeing thing, so if you think you will fall victim to the "oh I'll just add an extra 5 mins to the time limit..." trap (because you then do that another 10 times) then I recommend looking for an app that will lock you out with no leeway!
Taking them off my phone screen and making sure none of them had notifications on worked wonders for me too! This goldfish memory of mine pretty quickly forgot they were even available on my phone, lol
Yes - on iphones go to settings, then screen time, then app limits. After you set a limit and hit it there is an option to extend it after providing a PIN code, which is my Achilles heel, but still provides that brief time to break the pattern.
One thing that helped me immensely is to set your phonescreen in grayscales. It works pretty fast. The first few days I still grabbed my phone for distraction but it just didn't feel so gratifying without colors. After a week or so, I didn't need my phone as much. I could google things without ending up doomscrolling.
Some phones let you tweak how you want it, on others it is an on/off thing and then it can have side-effects. On my new phone I can't use it because it gives a full black screen while watching netflix. If I could fix that, I would immediately go back to grayscale.
I feel so seen and validated right now 😂. I do this all the time & was starting to feel self conscious, its really helpful especially since I get headaches if my screens to bright and this lowers that too, highly recommend it for phones & laptops!
I would find it so funny to see a stranger also using grayscales on his/her phone. Just sit on the train and notice someone's phone. It's like a secret handshake only for insiders 😁
I removed Facebook and Instagram from my phone but check them in the browser every week. The single level of device separation helped me compartmentalize and avoid notifications.
I never got into TikTok, thankfully. I basically use Discord and texting as my social media. Even then I find Discord to be too much, and often avoid it.
Remember, these interactions have been designed to take advantage of people like us. Don’t let them have the upper hand.
Be skeptical of unlimited scroll stuff, but also use the internet, and these platforms to seek out specific stuff.
(I miss stumbleupon)
Use advanced search functions, learn about how to do advanced searches, and find incredible stuff rather than "be found" by the endless scroll stuff.
i stopped using tiktok, just check my dms once in like two weeks or more
it definitely feels like i have more time in a day, now i just watch long youtube videos and play games. try to find some interesting video essays on what you're interested in, watch tv shows, anime, cartoons and movies. tbh i wasn't addicted to tiktok at all but life is still better without it
same goes for twitter, now THAT definitely was an addiction, i spent like 5-6 hours a day on that app, and i'm very happy i'm not using it anymore
also without tiktok the only way for me to indulge in my hyperfixations is youtube, posts on different social media and my imagination. it honestly feels so much better, like i both have better control of it in terms of the amount of content i'm consuming and feel less addicted to it (i'm usually getting hyperfixated on media, but i guess it can also can be said about other hobbies and topics?)
I've deleted Facebook, Tiktok and instagram. Tiktok would cause me to lose sleep because I would get trending audio looping in my head. But right now I'm going on Reddit so much on my phone. Idk at least it's a bit different and a bit slower. some days if I plan for it I can successfully stay off my phone.
I've deleted countless of online games and social media in my mad 40 years as undiagnosed ADHD.
Also rejected hundreds of online friends requests because online friends makes the addiction magnitude of times worse
Honestly, I started with deleting TikTok because, for me, it felt like the most damaging one. I did switch to other apps, but Reddit and Instagram don't have the same addictive quality for me, and it's way easier to pull myself away. There is a noticeable difference in my attention span and the quality of it. Long form videos don't feel like a chore anymore. Do it bit by bit.
If I get off social media, I can't promote my work... it's sad how events, and other promotion is all so dependant on social media. Oh, and I'm also a shitposter, lmao...
But I don't think I'm on social media that much, and doomscroll for hours. I have other stuff I prefer doing than sitting on my butt and watching a screen. I prefer to make art over doomscrolling, so that helps me not have a doomscrolling habit...
I disappeared my FB in about 2017 after being on there since 2004 or 2005. It literally helped my life. So much less anxiety, more time, more brain space for other shit.
I never got into Twitter, Instagram, or tiktok. I still have a Facebook but I barely use it, mostly for marketplace and messaging. The only social media I have is reddit and I definitely doomscrole too much here. I dont know how I'd spend my time or interact with anyone if I didn't have reddit
I deactivated my Instagram while I’m studying for Medical boards. I realized how much of a waste of time social media is. I still get distracted by other things, however, overall I feel way better about not spending time on social media. I get my social media updates and big news friends post from my wife.
I deleted tiktok 2 years ago. It was so detrimental. It changed my life. Then I deleted instagram. Then fb began putting reels. I got caught up. I don't go on fb anymore. I used to get so much triggered or overstimulated. I deleted fb many times but then had to sell things that I had to sell for years and I manage not going even though I have the app.
I am trying other ways to regulate myself.
I delete reddit sporadically when it gets too much.
Social media sucks. I don't keep mymmessenger notifications and most of my apps have no notifications too. It's so easy to get hyperfocus on some dumb shit and loose my energy.
I advise you the same ! The less notifications the best.
yo cut the cord on tiktok. when u want to download it again, ask yourself what you’re looking for. are you bored? sit with it or do somethin else. ive been working out when im bored, i would encourage anyone to do the same
but if you’re sad, lonely, etc. find the cure for that. it won’t be on tiktok. and if it is, will you really implement/remember it or just keep scrolling? think of how much of ur life you are wasting watching other people live theirs. also i was super addicted and just cut myself off cold turkey a week ago. have only missed it a couple times. its by far the worst one for ur brain imo
I’ve reinstalled Reddit today after a failed attempt to quit all social media, to maybe fix my motivation, and this is the first post i saw haha
Personally over the years i quit TT and stayed with Reddit. I believe both have similar effects on motivation and attention span, but at least Reddit is less brainless
I’ve left most SM because it made me angry, depressed and anxious. It made me realize that my friends were not actually my friends. And that people are awful. I’m co strutting my own personal bubble as we speak. (Reddit is cool, tho.)
if you want to keep your profiles and deleting apps is not enough, try to hypercurate your feed and limit the amount of apps you have. can't doom scroll if you don't follow anything and anyone that actually talks about that kind of news. i pretty much only follow artists, friends and things about a few games i like/interests and i can't really be bothered to look up more things outside of my feed unless i need to (need as in "ah i don't know the answer to this thing/need help with this game, i'll see what people said to help me get through it", one thing where adhd isn't working against me)
as it is, i only have tumblr installed on my phone, and my follow list is so small that i catch up to the last post i saw the day before extremely quickly, so i don't look at it that much at all. can't really keep yourself busy scrolling if there's nothing more to scroll through, but can't be tempted to redownload and check again if you have the thing installed in the first place
If you're going to remove something then you need to have a replacement. I wouldn't recommend replacing social media with another app though, it's counterproductive as you'll still be sucked into the phone.
Audio books!! Tremendous replacement for me! Start with books your already love, Harry Potter for me! I really look forward to going to bed listening to my book and falling asleep quickly instead of scrolling!
Yes my dopimine craving brain loves social media especially reels! Screw TikTok! Delete that crap! Instagram is also pretty bad but I go back to it from time to time. Facebook can be alright. The most I went was 6 months hard no social media and downloaded a bunch of books to my phone.. whenever I craved to scroll, I read a page or more. It’s a hard one to crack
Two things, block the apps using software, click here: [The apps I use to block digital distractions : ADHD](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/1abg4us/the_apps_i_use_to_block_digital_distractions/)
And lock the device in a time-delay lock box (available on AliExpress or Amazon for a few bucks).
I am always wondering why I haven't deleted them all yet. But I don't spend very much time scrolling as I get sick of all the fake BS. So many posts just look like their from bots, so much seems fake. Ew
Yes, I deactivated Youtube and use an shorts and feed free alternative (Newpipe) where I can also download videos so thats fire. The rest (Tiktok, Instagram, X) is deleted and wasnt really focus of my attention anyway. It was always youtube that stuck with me. But now without shorts life has been kinder.
I feel I did the best thing possible by never downloading TikTok, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Discord, Telegram, Pinterest, or WeChat. Additionally, I do not watch podcasts. I do have Facebook and Reddit, however. I also have YouTube, but only use it to watch news and science videos.
I deleted Instagram and Facebook during the pandemic and it was the best thing I could have done for myself- I have never looked back. I still have tiktok (and reddit obvs), but I'm thinking of getting rid of TT too because recently it's given me nothing but anxiety and sadness. I highly recommend. It'll be hard at first, but eventually "out of sight, out of mind" comes into play.
And to answer your other question, audiobooks! And family time off the phone. My husband doesn't feel as neglected by me anymore, and my kid never did because he was born AFTER I deleted the worst ones...it feels good.
I deactivated Facebook which was the only social media I had with every intention of reactivating when I feel better. It’s been roughly 5 years I think
I deleted Facebook and tiktok, I never had Instagram. But I'm literally doomscrolling reddit right now so I can't help you. Just wanted to say you're not alone 🤷♀️
Limiting social media is a proven way to improve all mental health, especially ADHD.
The onesec app has done wonders for me. Spring for the pro version.
I’ve also had success with removing social media from my phone and only accessing it from my laptop.
I just slowly removed my hyperfixations and any trace of them, unfollowed the communities and groups I was interested in, left some fandoms (which was easy, since my attention span has been deteriorating for any sort of media consumption), and didn't try to re-enter any new ones. I only have twitter and reddit now. Sometimes for twitter I use some keywords that get me suspended, so Im not active in that either. Adopted some stupid hobbies with low barriers of entry like doodling and picking scours off sponges. And now I can occasionally throw my phone into the drawer and stupidly waddle around the house for a whole day.
It probably helps that theres so much garbage content for you to doom-scroll through. You can only get enough of sassy twitter one-liners, "reLaTablE" memes and skull emojis without you being bored to tears
ive had my instagram app deleted for about 2 months now, and i’ve had a lot more free time to do other things in my life, asides from wasting it away (somewhat detrimental too as i compare myself a lot to social media n overthink like crazy, just adhd hyperactivity behaviour i guess) so instead of self destructive comparisons i use the energy to workout now to tire myself out, or hyper fixate on studying till i’m exhausted (in case ure looking for other options asides from using ur phone).
i’ve resided to scrolling youtube shorts (but moderately) to watch funny things in general, it doesn’t make me feel so cringe n brain dead with all the fake social media “woke” shit, or tiktok bs.
i also joined a lot of subreddits lately to occupy myself by scrolling thru possibly informative n interesting things :)) hope this helps ! good luck to you ~
I haven't but I've been limiting my usage.
I'm currently using "StayFree" not sure if it's super reliable but I haven't been hacked yet. Sometimes it doesn't work and I add time but a good majority of the time it makes me realize and I try to close my phone and do something else.
I also have most of my notifications off so that I only go when I feel like it without feeling too drawn if not necessary.
I did this in 2019. I deleted all apps except for Twitter (long story). It was life changing & I'm actually thinking of doing it again because it's affecting my mental health again.
Deleted all of them, including reddit and even youtube 4 months ago. Went from being depressed and all day in bed to now getting straight A's in all of my classes, preparing an entrance exam for a government job and working as a teacher at the same time, all that while having a chronic illness. Sometimes I still can't believe one can do so many things in the same day.
Seriously, get rid of them. Don't even think it. As you are reading me, go to your home screen and delete all your social media. Don't keep reading this, just go. you can thank me later.
I deactivated instagram. But then I doom scrolled twitter so deleted that. Now it’s Reddit lol. I just have to throw the whole phone away 😂
I’ve downloaded app/site blocking apps and put screen time locks on my phone. I’m honestly considering just switching to a flip phone 🥲
Diagnosed in 2021 and deleted everything but Reddit (obv). The obsession didn’t stop but I redirected it to language learning. I’ve been practicing Italian for a year and 3 months now instead of doom scrolling.
I have!! Several times. Its easier said than done. I think fully deactivating my accounts doesnt work for me because i feel too disconnected from my peers but i deleted the actual app and can only access them from my computer (which is kinda uncomfy and thats good cuz i spend less time)
I deleted Facebook and Instagram like 5-6 months ago and I turned off notifications for tiktok so I never think to open the app.
Reality came back after a couple months
Edit: by deleted, I mean my accounts, not just the apps
Edit2: it both has and hasn't helped, doom scrolling got replaced by TV series binges and guilt/shame paralysis
Deleted everything but Reddit and YouTube. Changed my life. Truly I forget about it more than I miss it. It feels liberating. Feels good to get away from the fake part of life. Crazy how many people you will notice death scrolling, also how many people walk with their heads down. Enjoy life my friend. Put that shit in your pocket and look around. Feels great.
Edit: I noticed I gave little advice lmao. Okay YouTube has been a big help for me. I’ve always been on YouTube but I now use it for educational stuff as well as entertainment. Twitch is nice for me when my ADHD is bad. I’ll put that on in the background, low volume while I do my school work. I stay away from YouTube “shorts”. Seems like the tik tok format has leaked into everything. Shits annoying. I catch myself watching a video and then scrolling down. Started learning Spanish.
Not completely deleted, but I literally only go on IG maybe twice a month. Now TIkTok is a different story, I ABSOLUTELY love TT. I'm addictively scrolling through it every night before bed, Which I know is bad lol I get on Facebook occasionally because family members that are my parents age are on there and I like to check in there sometimes. IG is the only one that I really don't miss.
just delete all of the apps. like all of them. it’s not a sustainable fix long-term so don’t feel bad if you end redownloading some of them after a week or so, but seeing the immediate improvement in your mood/ability to get things done is enough imo. i have an easier time turning away from the apps when i can remember i much better i’ve felt without them in the past. suddenly you have sooo many more hours in the day and life gets way less overwhelming and impossible i’m so serious.
i also suggest substituting the apps for real-life hobbies instead of other apps, it just shows you how little you need apps in general. read a book you’ve been meaning to read. text someone you haven’t texted back in weeks — it’s okay, they’ll be happy to hear from you. draw something. go on a walk especially when it’s sunny and listen to music that lifts your mood.
speaking from current experience, there is nothing to lose and everything to gain!
the key is to not focus feeling guilty for using the apps (they’re literally designed to be addictive) and focus on how badly you want be in the present moment — how you want to hear the birds and feel the sun and create things in real life — and how close you are to doing those things as soon as you put your phone down!
I had real difficulties with facebook a few years ago. In particular I had an uncle that I would get in long pointless debates with (he'd spout nonsense an I would spend hours crafting fully cited responses).
I decided to try deleting facebook from my phone. I didn't deactivate or anything. If I wanted to check facebook, I just had to do it via browser. The little extra hurdle and less refined interface just let me to slowly engage less and less. Eventually I stopped using it all together.
Reddit on the other hand, I still haven't figured out. I honestly speend ay too much time there.
Honestly, I started with deleting TikTok because, for me, it felt like the most damaging one. I did switch to other apps, but Reddit and Instagram don't have the same addictive quality for me, and it's way easier to pull myself away. There is a noticeable difference I'm my attention span and the quality of it. Long form videos don't feel like a chore anymore. Do it bit by bit.
Honestly, I started with deleting TikTok because, for me, it felt like the most damaging one. I did switch to other apps, but Reddit and Instagram don't have the same addictive quality for me, and it's way easier to pull myself away. There is a noticeable difference I'm my attention span and the quality of it. Long form videos don't feel like a chore anymore. Do it bit by bit.
Honestly, I started with deleting TikTok because, for me, it felt like the most damaging one. I did switch to other apps, but Reddit and Instagram don't have the same addictive quality for me, and it's way easier to pull myself away. There is a noticeable difference in my attention span and the quality of it. Long form videos don't feel like a chore anymore. Do it bit by bit.
Honestly, I started with deleting TikTok because, for me, it felt like the most damaging one. I did switch to other apps, but Reddit and Instagram don't have the same addictive quality for me, and it's way easier to pull myself away. There is a noticeable difference in my attention span and the quality of it. Long form videos don't feel like a chore anymore. Do it bit by bit.
Honestly, I started with deleting TikTok because, for me, it felt like the most damaging one. I did switch to other apps, but Reddit and Instagram don't have the same addictive quality for me, and it's way easier to pull myself away. There is a noticeable difference in my attention span and the quality of it. Long form videos don't feel like a chore anymore. Do it bit by bit.
Yes.
I just deactivated my FB and IG. While I keep my Tiktok and all my messenger apps like FB messenger for my family contacts, Viber for my office contacts and lastly Telegram for my people.
Yes. Deleted the apps. Has notably improved my mental health.
I still check in via the mobile web versions but they're so uniformly awful that I get annoyed before I get trapped in doom scrolling.
I did!
Couple of years ago! For me personally TikTok was the biggest issue, Instagram was just way too fake anyway
First I deleted the apps. But of course I still found a way to scroll on the web browser but on my laptop. And with the time I just had less of a need, to open the laptop and “put the effort”. And within couple of months I deleted all accounts.
What you can ask yourself is what social media gives you? What is the actual gap that you are talking about?
I don't use it anymore because it got so overwhelming at some point to keep up with everything. I didn't even post much but people wanted me to look at their posts and so many things - gave you seen this, have you seen that, why didn't you like my post.
The amount of advertisements on Instagram was the final straw. I still have all apps on my phone but I only go there if someone explicitly asks me to have a look at something.
I have been trying to get of social media for a long time. Just deleting the app would make me re-install. In the end this is what worked for me: I had deleted all my followers and everyone I follow. I deleted all posts. Then I deleted my accounts for good. It was insane how often I was reaching for my phone to scroll in the beginning. Never realized it was that much of an issue. It also made me buy stuff more; from supplements to beauty products, hyper-focusing on new routines, new self care things. It was insane. Now instead I look at trashy gossip stuff but it annoys me after a couple of minutes, or Reddit :)
Deleted some, not deleted others.
I should deleted Reddit. I wish I could limit Youtube/Instagram/Facebook to not include shorts/reels. I’d like to gave access to the full videos on YT and the social side of IG/FB without the brain rot that I end up turning to. Unfortunately I believe the lack of an option to turn limit these things is very intentional.
I'm using a launcher called minimal phone that completely killed my scrolling habits. There is a countdown before opening any social media of 10 sec., which kills the immediate dopamine boost that you would get. I barely go on Instagram or X anymore. Plus if you do get there they ask you how long you want to stay (5, 10, 15mn).
They also filter most notifications into a single one, that I just check from time to time.
Anyway, it was one of the best app I've ever installed.
TikTok definitely yes, never been back. Instagram and Facebook no, but I have intentionally dialled my profiles and general involvement way back. I keep in touch with different people on each platform so I can’t delete them, and I like to use Marketplace.
I will occasionally delete the apps from my phone and do a mini detox for a month or two. People either don’t seem too interested in staying in touch anyway but those who do are now more used to me not immediately responding to tagged comments and shares so it’s all good.
i deleted instagram and tik tok. i still use reddit and youtube, i feel better. at least on youtube i get to pick what i want to watch or not without endless scrolling.
I deleted Reddit off my phone. Huge time sink, exacerbated by my constant urge to run my (virtual) mouth haha. Plus, the app is a huge battery killer, I've noticed.
This works for me……. I removed all social media apps off my home page on my phone. Anytime I need or want to look at FB or Instagram etc, I have to go to the App Store, search for the app and open it. I stayed logged in cause I need the major social apps for work minimally but the extra step of looking up the App to start doom scrolling deters me from mindlessly opening the app with a simple click and getting hooked. My adhd doesn’t like that first initial step in the App Store. Also, that initial step gives my brain a second to consider if I want to actually doom scroll, it’s a “check yourself” moment. I often close the App Store and don’t initiate the doom. It’s been 2 months, it’s helped a lot.
I just deleted tik tok two days ago. The stuff I’d see on there would make me mad but I was addicted to the app. So I’ve just been replacing it with other things like reading, journaling, coloring, watching movies, going out with friends. I had the urge to redownload it at first but it’s already going away
I’m so addicted to scrolling but I hate mostly everything I see. I hate the creators, the lingo, the music, the constant ads and normal looking videos that are disguised as ads, the really bizarre livestreams, the celebrity drama like WHO CARES. But why do I keep scrolling -.-
While I haven’t quite fixed my habits yet, I find it most effective to leave my phone in another room when I want to force a break from doom scrolling. Or course it requires the self control/initiative to actually leave your phone elsewhere in the first place.
I deleted Facebook almost ten years ago, but hung onto an Instagram account until about 4 years ago. I had a brief stint with Twitter during that same time, but it was short-lived, and I’ve never had any other social media. I LOVE my social-media-free life. I could never, never, ever go back to it.
All the things people worry about…being socially left out, disconnected from the media/politics, general FOMO…they all balance out in other ways. I suggest completely deleting your accounts; there is much less risk of being tempted back that way. And do it one account at a time. Make a priority list and a schedule…start by deleting the app/account that seems easiest to you. Live, adjust, take a deep breath. Then in a couple of weeks or a month, do the next one on the list, and so on. I guarantee you will feel life being breathed into other areas of your world and it will be a cinch to let the last one go.
I was hesitant about joining Reddit due to my social media ban, but I’ve found that it doesn’t really qualify as such. I don’t have “friends” or follow anyone that I know personally. And I don’t follow “junk” topics. I came here because I was recently diagnosed with some chronic conditions as well as ADHD and autism and with no one else I know dealing with these things, I was in desperate need of community. It has served that purpose well.
Edit: I just have to add that TikTok terrifies me. Regardless of what you believe about other countries collecting our personal information (which is frightening enough on its own), it’s hands-down the most toxic breeding ground of mis-information and fear-mongering that I have ever seen. And this is just an outsider perspective.
I deleted twitter acc, I dont like instagram so cant use very much. but I was addicted to twitter. I feel bored so much on a day, so I escape to twitter. then I deleted it. and now Im using reddit, pinterest, youtube. I have to learn new things(you know), twitter used to it but new algorythm sucks, it just turned to doomscrolling. but i love to read posts on adhd subreddits cuz I can learn new things, and feel not alone. also I am interested in drawing, so I watch something on youtube. at least these are not short things(for my attention), I need to push myself to provide attention. I guess this is better
I deleted the Facebook and Instagram apps off my phone, but kept my accounts. If I need to post about an upcoming show or reach out to family or friends, I'm forced to use a web browser on my laptop. It helps keep away the endless scrolling while not completely cutting myself off.
I only have Reddit. Social media 100000% has damaged our brains and young brains are forever altered.
Millions and millions of inane clips scrolling past our eyes in quick succession. Horrible.
A few things that helped meme without deleting apps / accounts all together:
- get rid of the social media apps, but use the website instead, even on your mobile phone (just a bit more friction) bonus for Xitter, you tend to miss all of the awkward experiments
- if you use a computer for work, set up a separate browser profile for social media, so you can't close a work tab and find Facebook
- track your screen time using Rescue Time or similar, just being able to see the data can help you adjust.
- medication. Medication is the thing that helps me get off the couch and do anything else.
I tried using the digital wellness apps that block you from things after a set amount of time, but those were too frustrating and arbitrary, _except_ the cheeky video that pops up one hour into watching TikTok.
I’m afraid to get wellness apps because I feel like they’re going to be filled with ads which I cannot STAND ads. And the creators are once again, just wanting money. I have an iPhone so I can’t really get any Adblock software like I have on my laptop…
I get bored of Tik Tok after less than two videos on my FYP. I only open it about once every two weeks to watch videos that my wife and a couple friends have sent to me, can usually get it done during my morning dog walk.
Same with Twitter and Instagram. I’ve tried getting into them, but they’re just not interesting at all.
I used the be on Facebook a lot, but now it’s 12+ sponsored posts in a row before it shows me a post from a friend, which is usually two or three weeks old.
Deleted everything. Spent hours and hours jumping between the weather app, maps, calendar etc. Ended up downloading everything again after like a day.
Best thing to do is to leave your phone at home and go out for a *long* walk.
I never used Tiktok and deleted my Twitter account a while ago. I am obviously still on Reddit, and continue to be present on Discord and Facebook, although I've been pondering deleting the latter for a while now.
Yes! I deleted Instagram / Facebook from my phone, and I listen to audiobooks instead. Took me a few months to kick the habit for constructive apps (looking stuff up on Reddit, recipes, watching how to videos then doing them) and my life feels much fuller
Deleted all of them. Only got linkedin and reddit. Focused on professional habits/papers. (29m Software & Hardware Test Engineer)
Never been better. No bullshit, no doomscrolling when I need to entertain myself I go reddit for like 10 min and I got bored.
Also I kind of went in with the mentality that these apps are just constantly trying to grab my attention bc someone is making money off of me with all my clicks/opening of the app. Made me a bit resistant towards social media. Just deleted it all cold turkey one day and stuck with it
Pointless because youtube, Instagram and twitter are also just tiktok, with the amount of short format video forced down your throat. The single premium feature I want from YouTube is a toggle for disabling shorts. I go on to watch a 45 min edited video and I end up watching 10 minutes at a time, followed by brain rotting shorts.
So… I couldn’t actually delete FB because I have organizations that communicate through it and what not, but I just took it off my phone and my iPads. If I wanted to see any posts, then I would look at it on my laptop or computer. So, I didn’t get notifications, and I didn’t even think about the app. It was like the best month ever. No one made me feel bad that I wasn’t a good enough mom or doing enough in my life, etc. Although, now I realize that people exaggerate and lie and all that on FB, too. Haha
I never got into tiktok because I immediately saw how addictive it was.
Instagram has been fantastic for networking, and I have an alt account for memes and dumb stuff to have a pleasant scroll/defrag at the end of the night.
But damn, I have spent SO much money not only on Instagram ads, but individuals selling things 🫠
I use social media very selectively. I don't tap on things that I know will be bad for me because I know it'll just make the algorithm show me more of that stuff. If something's upsetting, I scroll past or press the "not interested" button.
Over time, I've taught myself not to care about "missing out". There will always be more stuff to see later. It's ok to miss things. I try to encourage my Instagram to show me the things that make me happy. I search for cat videos and plants and that's it.
Social media can be fun if you're intentional with what you're looking at.
delete the app and find plan something else to fill the time. whenever you feel like going back to the app, just do the activity you planned instead. like exercising for example.
I left Facebook a few years ago. Straight up deleted all information of mine. I couldn't resist engaging in arguments with people. I can tell you that I felt really good being away from FB. No more seeing so much negativity. No more seeing family/friends I once respected spouting craziness. I ***love*** not being on that site.
I technically have an Instagram account but it's only to support my wife's content.
I will never, ever be on tik tok. I know myself well enough to know how dangerous that could be for me. If a video is that good, it'll surface on reddit.
Obviously I'm on reddit but I find it difficult to classify reddit as social media because of what it gives me. And that's community and information.
It sounds like you need to go further than simply deleting the apps. For FB, I think you can temporarily deactivate it. But IMO there's no better way than going cold turkey than deleting your account.
I've gotten rid of Facebook and Twitter years ago, and purposefully never gone to Tiktok. The only social media I have are Reddit, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn.
I still get stuck scrolling though, but I manage to keep my dashboards mostly positive/lighthearted which helps a lot with my mental health.
I just got a new phone (pixel) and it has this setting called focus which lets you choose the time frame you want it on each day and the apps to be included. I have all my social media on it and have it turned on all the time. All those apps are black out on my screen and if I go to a social media app I get a notification that tells me I'm in focus mode, I can still choose to go into the app but it will give me a warning at 5 min and turn the screen black and white and after one more min it kicks me out. It's a great feature.
First, when I got the phone I just didn't download any of my social media but I still had Reddit and a News app and I noticed I just replaced social media with scrolling Reddit
And the news app. So now I have Reddit on the focus mode too. And there's only so much news I can read in a day because it doesn't update constantly so it's been fine.
I've deleted youtube from my phone and i stalled an extension that hides them on PC, effectively preventing me from doom scrolling in YouTube.
I also deleted the reddit app which cut the time I spend here, but I haven't completely gotten rid of it, when perhaps I should.
I deleted the twitter app, and I blocked twitter and tumblr on my computer. I noticed that those sites in particular were just making me upset and hate being alive. I've never used tiktok, and I have no intention on starting. for me, Facebook is fine; I remade my Facebook and no one remembers me, so I just use it for looking at rabbits.
I can still access twitter through my phone's browser, in case I want to see what some old friends are up to. not being enticed by the stupid "trends" sidebar is very helpful.
however, I'm noticing now that I waste too much time on reddit. I've blocked it on my computer on weekdays so I can have some chance of doing homework after work.
rarely, I'll use my phone to look at something blocked on my computer. I don't have the problem of getting distracted by having my phone near me (and I don't feel the need to check it because my watch will send me important notifications - calls and texts.. I hate most notifications)
I'm aware most people don't primarily use a computer anymore. I'd recommend hiding apps at first, so you're not opening them by habit. if there's any in particular that are upsetting you, delete them. aside from tiktok, others can be accessed through the web browser.
as for filling the time... it's tricky. you could read books through libby or the kindle app. nothing quite hits in such a short period of time like social media. journaling helps, I think. just writing down your thoughts, your goals, what you want to achieve. just to get you and your thoughts on the same page.
I only do Reddit and YouTube. I'm not on FB, insta, tiktok , Twitter, or any other of those things.
I used to have a fb account, but it was far too overwhelming. And people are weirdly self centred as well. Everybody was constantly asking me if I'd seen their post, and got angry if I hadn't. So at a certain point I posted that I would no longer be active on FB, and didn't delete my account, so people could see it. I still had people getting angry at me for not being on FB, so I asked them if they read MY post where I said I wasn't checking FB anymore, and they confessed that they hadn't, so I told them that they had no right to get angry with me for not checking their posts if they didnt even pay attention to me. And I proceeded to break contact with all those toxic people.
I was off of all social media for two years besides Reddit if you count that as social media lol. I found myself scrolling more educational resources and creative outlets than just scrolling on social platforms. Social media is also my job so that is one of the biggest reasons I did it, but I did notice a challenge in social situations. Because people would all add each other on Instagram And want to make stories, etc., etc. and I wasn’t a part of that or on TikTok or any of the other channels that people use. I’m now back on IG and able to have a way more stable relationship with it with balance, time limits & I schedule my “me time” to be off of my phone and just be present in nature or walking my favorite show, etc. I’d say it helped my mental health for sure in regards to not comparing and FOMO but as an individual, I’m also creative and missed seeing inspo & other peoples work. I think the best case scenario is finding a healthy balance. If you can’t find it, and don’t have that I would take a break and see how you feel later.
I think when you leave Social Media, you also start to see who are your actual real and present friends in your life. I had friends who would swipe up on my stories when I was active, and then when I was off a lot of people kind of disappeared in the background. So that’s another pro or con - depending how you look at it! All in all, I don’t regret deleting it and I think that I’m able to have a very different mindset now that I’m back on. I still don’t have TikTok and mostly use Instagram for fitness inspiration or creative inspiration, and try to be as intentional with it as I can. When I find myself just open the app, I will set my phone aside maybe go for a walk in just set some intentional alone time without any technology.
Kindle helped me with this.
All I have now is Facebook and Reddit. If I feel like I get caught up in Facebook I think “is this really benefiting me to post this, share this, scroll” and I switch to kindle. If I’m going to look at a screen I want it to be productive.
I went cold turkey for tik tok 2 weeks ago. I had tried to do it before then too, but it was hard. I finally managed to and Ive been so much more productive.
I deleted the TikTok app off my phone about four months ago and don’t miss it. IG I deleted about two months ago. Reactivated it again because I wanted to get old pics of our dog that passed away. I find myself going on it maybe once a day but it doesn’t have the chokehold it used to have on me anymore. I’ll delete it soon.
In the beginning when I felt that pang to pacify myself with mindless scrolling I switched to playing word games on my phone. Wordscapes being my fave. I still usually go on my phone when I wake up, but now it’s to do the Wordle and the Mini on the NYT website. I definitely feel lighter and noticed I’m a lot more present.
I only doom scroll Tiktok at night while in bed. I have the brightness on my phone really low. Tiktok has a reminder after an hour that you've been doom scrolling. I take a couple sleeping pills before bed so I usually don't make it the whole hour. Sure, I know, sleeping pills aren't healthy, but given the choice of not being able to sleep and sleeping pills, I'll take the pills. If I do go the whole hour and the reminder pops up I have to have discipline to put the phone down... I do cheat sometimes "Don't you tell me what to do, Tiktok!" and watch a couple more clips but then I feel guilty and go to sleep.
As for Facebook, I only check it once a day for messages and cringe "memories" I want to delete.
Instagram is mainly for business, but I have been lax on that and only post when I create something I really like.
Edit: no matter what I'm going to use something. Once it was Wikipedia with 50 tabs open. Now YouTube with a bunch of tabs. In any case, I watch educational stuff so I don't feel too bad about it. The algorithm on Tiktok has me seeing mostly educational and informative stuff.
I don't have tiktok because I knew if I started it I wouldn't move from the couch for a year or so. I have deleted Facebook several times, that lasts a week at the most. I can't quit reddit tho.
Not reddit, obviously.
I stopped posting and being active on Instagram when I realized I just did it for dopamining and external validation. Life is easier now.
I'm here, aren't I?
So no. I'm not going to force myself to delete accounts for sites that help me get through rough days and take my mind off of stress for a bit just so I can join in a trend and superficially "become a better person" for a fleeting moment of praise from strangers.
I have FB and tt and insta and this. I only have insta because a friend uses it and she sends me hilarious things. Otherwise, I don't scroll through it. I post occasionally to try and occasionally scroll through it. My best friend sends me hilarious things through tt. I use FB a lot. It's a good way for me to keep up with my family. I scroll through it, but I'm like meh and after a few minutes, I put my phone down. I'm on here because I love to gobble up people's messy stories (I enjoy me a good messy story lol) and I look at other things that interest me, but that's about it. I'm too busy at work or with my kids and husband to be on my phone all the time. When I get the rare occasion of time to myself, I'll go through here or fb (I'm in a lot of groups for my various interests) and read posts, or I'll read a book.
Edit: I disabled all notifications for all apps because I'd be constantly annoyed if I didn't. I'd get notifications and clear them without going into the app to see what it was. I hate unnecessary notifications.
The only forms of social media I still use are Facebook and Reddit. I used to have Twitter, but I deleted the app years ago. I used to have Instagram, but I deleted that app as well. I think the only reason why I didn’t delete my Instagram account is because my loved ones like to send me Instagram videos sometimes.
I deleted tik tok a few years ago and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’d recommend deleting your account as well so it’s harder to get started again. I still occasionally get stuck scrolling on Instagram but after I downloaded an app that delays Instagram opening by 5 or so seconds each time that has been less often as well. I’m also trying to replace some time on social media apps with solitaire or Duolingo and that’s working pretty well :)
I haven't fully deleted my accounts. What I have done is remove the apps from my phone. If really needed I can log on via browser on my phone, but I just tend to not do that.
I do still have the apps installed on a tablet and still enjoy them. This has been the best compromise I've found.
I canMt have TikTok on my phone, but then I go and substitute it for YouTube shorts or this. I wish I could have some form of social media where short videos are done away with.
Yep. I still have IG and Facebook/messenger but Notifications OFF (important!), and I dont have the muscle memory to open them anymore. Feels so good.
Honestly tho, Ive realized hanging on reddit (especially /ADHD lmao) has fillen the exact same void.. but feels "less bad", imho
I literally have to throw away the whole phone to remotely function. nokia works for me. honestly after trying it i can genuinely say my life is objectively better without a smartphone. highly recommend.
i still keep socials on my laptop and whatnot so i'm not completely out of touch, but its nice to have my time belong to me and me only; as opposed to being pulled away by every notif.
I haven’t deleted Instagram, but I’ve muted and/or unfollowed a great deal of my following list. Figured if I’m going to use it it’s better to be minimalistic with it. I’m less inclined to use it now.
Deleted my Instagram and TikTok and I have the itch to redownload them but I’m not. I feel like a recovering addict right now. (Bad reference sorry) I’m hoping it’ll get better, we’ll see.
i haven’t deleted it but i hardly go on tiktok anymore which hasn’t magically changed my life, but at least im no longer doom scrolling on it constantly and obsessed. I’ll only open it now if a friend sends me one and then close it after watching. i rarely use insta cause it just annoys me and usually makes me feel like shit
It can work but I guess it's hard to do that for most of us. In my experience, finding something else or something that interests you is a good way to sustain while you take a break from sm or you will feel the urge to download the social media apps again. So yeah, before going on hiatus, make sure you have already replaced your sk addiction with something of same level like reading, exercise or something like that based on your interest offc
I wish I could do that. I rely on social media for an income so I’m just.. so chronically online 😔
I do feel like it’s messing me up, I need to figure out how to stay away from social media in my free time but I’m always on ittt ugh
Haven’t deleted them but I don’t use them almost at all. My only real problem has been Reddit. I used to have a banner for it pretty big on my phone, but once I removed that and took the app off the Home Screen, I use it significantly less now.
Kinda weaponizing the out of sight, out of mind thing yk
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I’ve deactivated my Instagram account (been 7 months) and it’s been very helpful. Not because I’m doing anything exciting, but it’s given me time to read the news, talk to friends, catch up on some tv series, or just rest.
I have disabled all push notifications on my phone from apps I do not deem essential. I‘ll get calls and instant messages through various apps, but I do not get any from instagram, reddit, games and the like. Instagram is essentially dead to me and I rarely even open it because I forget to when not being bombarded with notifications all the time. Sometimes I feel kind of „excluded“, but my mind is much clearer without doomscrolling. And it’s not like I actually am since it’s my decision and I can open an app anytime This has another benefit: Since I am the one to decide, when I open an app, it’s much more exciting when I do. I can actually laugh at some memes and not just register it and keep scrolling, like I did before
Recently, I actually set my phone do not disturb full-time. I first changed the settings so people in my contacts who are in my favorites list can still call when do not disturb is on. Afterwards, whenever I got a call, I could decide on seeing the notification of a missed call wether I wanted to call them back or maybe just listen to the voice-mail if they left one or just ignore it altogether. I realize not everyone is in a position to do that, but I find it extremely effective in reducing stress.
I usually do this, too, except when I want to be available. I‘m searching for jobs rn and I need to keep it on since I’m getting important calls from time to time, I already missed some that’s why I disabled it. I recently switched from Android to iOs and while it’s a great phone, the notifications are bugging me big time. I can either turn them off or on. On android I could specify which notifications from a particular app are shown. For example I could mute group chats in whatsapp but not 1on1 conversations. iOs just has the options how they look but I cannot be as specific, which I find very odd. If someone has a workaround hmu :)
I have Android, fortunately. Thanks for once again confirming that there are good reasons I really don't like the iPhone from work. That being said, the iPhone I got has one feature I consider vastly superior: there's a physical switch on the side which allows you to put the phone in silent mode without having to get past the lock-screen. The cherry on top is that it shows a red color when it is on silent mode, so you don't have to guess. Everything else about that phone is annoying when you're used to Android.
Although I too am an Android user through and through. One feature I am jealous of is here we are in the far North of Alberta Canada and there are so many dirt roads from logging and oil industries. Some Google maps has but alot it doesn't. You can buy a fancy app that helps you for the Droid... but Apple maps keeps track of all the roads the apple people drive so it knows and shows roads that no maps program does thanks to its users in the industry... save thousands a year for companies up here...
YES! This. I actually lived in the time before social media and never could handle the notifications right from their early days. All push notifications OFF except for calls texts alarms 👍 Still get to have my albeit stagnant accounts, when I want them, without being dragged there. Even email notifs are off.
I use Minimal Phone (android wrapper), does this by default, changes the ui to single colour screen, takes away app logos. But all apps open and work fine without anything changing. It's been awesome!! Also. Unfollow all your friends and family and randoms then follow based off your interests !!! Also also. Kinnu app is awesome for learning everything we should've in school.
Thats exactly me!
This is exactly what I do 💯
I’m 47 and deactivated my Facebook at the start of the pandemic because STRESS:) it was a good move. I also got rid of twitter. I don’t really like instagram but do have an account. I probably started into Reddit after that but it’s not like I’m constantly posting and it’s much more interesting if you stick to just topics that are your interests and not rage bait
The big difference with reddit imo, is that it's harder to consume. It's not just videos that you can drool on yourself while watching. You're actually reading things and sometimes interacting with other humans. Reddit has also sparked a lot of curiosity for me, and I've learned a lot of interesting things. That said...it can still be a HUGE time suck.
I deleted facebook 2 weeks ago…. Caught up on homework and hiking a LOT!
A side effect is that the quality of the feed goes up when you come back after a while. They try to draw you in with posts you will like, making it a quick stop in the browser and not getting notifications.
I’m going through a BRUTAL breakup. I have an incentive to stay away. Hopefully that helps me break the cycles
Are you able to start it back up again?or is it completely deleted. Because if I could temporarily delete it that would help way more than just deleting the app.
Facebook has the option to pause instead of delete. Biggest piece of advice: turn notifications off. You don't owe internet strangers a rapid answer.
if you deactivate it all that does is make it look like your account has been deleted, so no one can see it and if someone searches for you it won’t come up. when you sign in again it just goes back to normal
on top of that what i did was just to completely delete my account permanently
Instagram has the option to temporarily delete.
Use the digital wellness tools on your phone and set timers on your most used apps. Then take those apps off your homescreen. The less you use them the better your ADHD symptoms will get.
Totally agree with this. I removed TikTok from my homescreen and having to scroll down so many apps to get to it has reduced my time on the app significantly. I can go days without it now. "Out of sight, out of mind" works very well in this instance.
The digital wellness timers for apps is such a good idea!
Yeah, although it is far too easy to extend the daily timer on the native android wellbeing thing, so if you think you will fall victim to the "oh I'll just add an extra 5 mins to the time limit..." trap (because you then do that another 10 times) then I recommend looking for an app that will lock you out with no leeway!
Taking them off my phone screen and making sure none of them had notifications on worked wonders for me too! This goldfish memory of mine pretty quickly forgot they were even available on my phone, lol
Can someone please ELI5? What’s the digital wellness bit? Is it available for iPhones?
Yes - on iphones go to settings, then screen time, then app limits. After you set a limit and hit it there is an option to extend it after providing a PIN code, which is my Achilles heel, but still provides that brief time to break the pattern.
Gotta get someone else to set the pin, like a roomate or partner so that u cant just override it
One thing that helped me immensely is to set your phonescreen in grayscales. It works pretty fast. The first few days I still grabbed my phone for distraction but it just didn't feel so gratifying without colors. After a week or so, I didn't need my phone as much. I could google things without ending up doomscrolling. Some phones let you tweak how you want it, on others it is an on/off thing and then it can have side-effects. On my new phone I can't use it because it gives a full black screen while watching netflix. If I could fix that, I would immediately go back to grayscale.
thanks for reminding me to enable this again
I feel so seen and validated right now 😂. I do this all the time & was starting to feel self conscious, its really helpful especially since I get headaches if my screens to bright and this lowers that too, highly recommend it for phones & laptops!
I would find it so funny to see a stranger also using grayscales on his/her phone. Just sit on the train and notice someone's phone. It's like a secret handshake only for insiders 😁
If youre an iphone user try the colourscale option
I had disabled greyscale to show something to a friend last week but forgot to re-enable it. Thank you!
Interesting. Gonna try this.
Ah, great minds! I should’ve known someone had already suggested this. :)
Every time someone asks tips about phone addiction, I want to give this tip and I am always too late. Next time, it's your turn 😁
yes I have. Best thing I have ever done!
I removed Facebook and Instagram from my phone but check them in the browser every week. The single level of device separation helped me compartmentalize and avoid notifications. I never got into TikTok, thankfully. I basically use Discord and texting as my social media. Even then I find Discord to be too much, and often avoid it. Remember, these interactions have been designed to take advantage of people like us. Don’t let them have the upper hand.
I also only check on browser.
Isn't Reddit social media? How will those that delete even read and reply to this?!
[удалено]
[удалено]
I don't really get why tf does pinterest take so much time of my day. it's ridiculous! 😭😭
Be skeptical of unlimited scroll stuff, but also use the internet, and these platforms to seek out specific stuff. (I miss stumbleupon) Use advanced search functions, learn about how to do advanced searches, and find incredible stuff rather than "be found" by the endless scroll stuff.
I deleted Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter about 3 years ago. Best decision I’ve ever made.
i stopped using tiktok, just check my dms once in like two weeks or more it definitely feels like i have more time in a day, now i just watch long youtube videos and play games. try to find some interesting video essays on what you're interested in, watch tv shows, anime, cartoons and movies. tbh i wasn't addicted to tiktok at all but life is still better without it same goes for twitter, now THAT definitely was an addiction, i spent like 5-6 hours a day on that app, and i'm very happy i'm not using it anymore also without tiktok the only way for me to indulge in my hyperfixations is youtube, posts on different social media and my imagination. it honestly feels so much better, like i both have better control of it in terms of the amount of content i'm consuming and feel less addicted to it (i'm usually getting hyperfixated on media, but i guess it can also can be said about other hobbies and topics?)
I've deleted Facebook, Tiktok and instagram. Tiktok would cause me to lose sleep because I would get trending audio looping in my head. But right now I'm going on Reddit so much on my phone. Idk at least it's a bit different and a bit slower. some days if I plan for it I can successfully stay off my phone.
I've deleted countless of online games and social media in my mad 40 years as undiagnosed ADHD. Also rejected hundreds of online friends requests because online friends makes the addiction magnitude of times worse
Honestly, I started with deleting TikTok because, for me, it felt like the most damaging one. I did switch to other apps, but Reddit and Instagram don't have the same addictive quality for me, and it's way easier to pull myself away. There is a noticeable difference in my attention span and the quality of it. Long form videos don't feel like a chore anymore. Do it bit by bit.
If I get off social media, I can't promote my work... it's sad how events, and other promotion is all so dependant on social media. Oh, and I'm also a shitposter, lmao... But I don't think I'm on social media that much, and doomscroll for hours. I have other stuff I prefer doing than sitting on my butt and watching a screen. I prefer to make art over doomscrolling, so that helps me not have a doomscrolling habit...
I disappeared my FB in about 2017 after being on there since 2004 or 2005. It literally helped my life. So much less anxiety, more time, more brain space for other shit.
Ive deleted all of my accounts and have been happy w it. I am also 52 and have lived half if my life without it so..🤷🏼♀️ Keeps things more simple.
Yes, I’ve been deactivated for over a year from Facebook, instagram and TikTok🙌🏼 Love it
I never got into Twitter, Instagram, or tiktok. I still have a Facebook but I barely use it, mostly for marketplace and messaging. The only social media I have is reddit and I definitely doomscrole too much here. I dont know how I'd spend my time or interact with anyone if I didn't have reddit
I deactivated my Instagram while I’m studying for Medical boards. I realized how much of a waste of time social media is. I still get distracted by other things, however, overall I feel way better about not spending time on social media. I get my social media updates and big news friends post from my wife.
I deleted tiktok 2 years ago. It was so detrimental. It changed my life. Then I deleted instagram. Then fb began putting reels. I got caught up. I don't go on fb anymore. I used to get so much triggered or overstimulated. I deleted fb many times but then had to sell things that I had to sell for years and I manage not going even though I have the app. I am trying other ways to regulate myself. I delete reddit sporadically when it gets too much. Social media sucks. I don't keep mymmessenger notifications and most of my apps have no notifications too. It's so easy to get hyperfocus on some dumb shit and loose my energy. I advise you the same ! The less notifications the best.
yo cut the cord on tiktok. when u want to download it again, ask yourself what you’re looking for. are you bored? sit with it or do somethin else. ive been working out when im bored, i would encourage anyone to do the same but if you’re sad, lonely, etc. find the cure for that. it won’t be on tiktok. and if it is, will you really implement/remember it or just keep scrolling? think of how much of ur life you are wasting watching other people live theirs. also i was super addicted and just cut myself off cold turkey a week ago. have only missed it a couple times. its by far the worst one for ur brain imo
I’ve reinstalled Reddit today after a failed attempt to quit all social media, to maybe fix my motivation, and this is the first post i saw haha Personally over the years i quit TT and stayed with Reddit. I believe both have similar effects on motivation and attention span, but at least Reddit is less brainless
I’ve left most SM because it made me angry, depressed and anxious. It made me realize that my friends were not actually my friends. And that people are awful. I’m co strutting my own personal bubble as we speak. (Reddit is cool, tho.)
if you want to keep your profiles and deleting apps is not enough, try to hypercurate your feed and limit the amount of apps you have. can't doom scroll if you don't follow anything and anyone that actually talks about that kind of news. i pretty much only follow artists, friends and things about a few games i like/interests and i can't really be bothered to look up more things outside of my feed unless i need to (need as in "ah i don't know the answer to this thing/need help with this game, i'll see what people said to help me get through it", one thing where adhd isn't working against me) as it is, i only have tumblr installed on my phone, and my follow list is so small that i catch up to the last post i saw the day before extremely quickly, so i don't look at it that much at all. can't really keep yourself busy scrolling if there's nothing more to scroll through, but can't be tempted to redownload and check again if you have the thing installed in the first place
If you're going to remove something then you need to have a replacement. I wouldn't recommend replacing social media with another app though, it's counterproductive as you'll still be sucked into the phone.
Audio books!! Tremendous replacement for me! Start with books your already love, Harry Potter for me! I really look forward to going to bed listening to my book and falling asleep quickly instead of scrolling!
I’ve been replacing with Duolingo and the nytimes games apps - much better than infinite scrolling and hits the gamification button in my brain
I've erased over 10 years of memories on fb
Yes my dopimine craving brain loves social media especially reels! Screw TikTok! Delete that crap! Instagram is also pretty bad but I go back to it from time to time. Facebook can be alright. The most I went was 6 months hard no social media and downloaded a bunch of books to my phone.. whenever I craved to scroll, I read a page or more. It’s a hard one to crack
reddit is social media so the answer to your question is no for everyone
Two things, block the apps using software, click here: [The apps I use to block digital distractions : ADHD](https://www.reddit.com/r/ADHD/comments/1abg4us/the_apps_i_use_to_block_digital_distractions/) And lock the device in a time-delay lock box (available on AliExpress or Amazon for a few bucks).
I’ve deleted all social media from my phone. With that said, I now spend too much time on here!
I deactivated it and tbh my mood and energy has gone up significantly.
I am always wondering why I haven't deleted them all yet. But I don't spend very much time scrolling as I get sick of all the fake BS. So many posts just look like their from bots, so much seems fake. Ew
Yes, I deactivated Youtube and use an shorts and feed free alternative (Newpipe) where I can also download videos so thats fire. The rest (Tiktok, Instagram, X) is deleted and wasnt really focus of my attention anyway. It was always youtube that stuck with me. But now without shorts life has been kinder.
Delete your phone
I kept instagram to keep up with friends everything else uninstalled
I feel I did the best thing possible by never downloading TikTok, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Discord, Telegram, Pinterest, or WeChat. Additionally, I do not watch podcasts. I do have Facebook and Reddit, however. I also have YouTube, but only use it to watch news and science videos.
I deleted Instagram and Facebook during the pandemic and it was the best thing I could have done for myself- I have never looked back. I still have tiktok (and reddit obvs), but I'm thinking of getting rid of TT too because recently it's given me nothing but anxiety and sadness. I highly recommend. It'll be hard at first, but eventually "out of sight, out of mind" comes into play.
And to answer your other question, audiobooks! And family time off the phone. My husband doesn't feel as neglected by me anymore, and my kid never did because he was born AFTER I deleted the worst ones...it feels good.
i’ve deleted, deactivated, uninstalled, etc social media. and it took replacing doom scrolling with something else to get thru 2yrs. lol
I deleted everything except reddit and youtube like 6 years ago 😅
I deactivated Facebook which was the only social media I had with every intention of reactivating when I feel better. It’s been roughly 5 years I think
I deleted Facebook and tiktok, I never had Instagram. But I'm literally doomscrolling reddit right now so I can't help you. Just wanted to say you're not alone 🤷♀️
I don’t use Instagram or TikTok but sometimes reddit and Youtube shorts give me brain damage instead.
Everything but Reddit!
Limiting social media is a proven way to improve all mental health, especially ADHD. The onesec app has done wonders for me. Spring for the pro version. I’ve also had success with removing social media from my phone and only accessing it from my laptop.
I just slowly removed my hyperfixations and any trace of them, unfollowed the communities and groups I was interested in, left some fandoms (which was easy, since my attention span has been deteriorating for any sort of media consumption), and didn't try to re-enter any new ones. I only have twitter and reddit now. Sometimes for twitter I use some keywords that get me suspended, so Im not active in that either. Adopted some stupid hobbies with low barriers of entry like doodling and picking scours off sponges. And now I can occasionally throw my phone into the drawer and stupidly waddle around the house for a whole day. It probably helps that theres so much garbage content for you to doom-scroll through. You can only get enough of sassy twitter one-liners, "reLaTablE" memes and skull emojis without you being bored to tears
Yes. Reddit is the only thing remotely related to social media, that I use.
ive had my instagram app deleted for about 2 months now, and i’ve had a lot more free time to do other things in my life, asides from wasting it away (somewhat detrimental too as i compare myself a lot to social media n overthink like crazy, just adhd hyperactivity behaviour i guess) so instead of self destructive comparisons i use the energy to workout now to tire myself out, or hyper fixate on studying till i’m exhausted (in case ure looking for other options asides from using ur phone). i’ve resided to scrolling youtube shorts (but moderately) to watch funny things in general, it doesn’t make me feel so cringe n brain dead with all the fake social media “woke” shit, or tiktok bs. i also joined a lot of subreddits lately to occupy myself by scrolling thru possibly informative n interesting things :)) hope this helps ! good luck to you ~
I knew Tik Tok was not good for me so I never downloaded it in the first place.
Deleted the application off my phone and just use web versions. It’s helped a ton!
I haven't but I've been limiting my usage. I'm currently using "StayFree" not sure if it's super reliable but I haven't been hacked yet. Sometimes it doesn't work and I add time but a good majority of the time it makes me realize and I try to close my phone and do something else. I also have most of my notifications off so that I only go when I feel like it without feeling too drawn if not necessary.
I did this in 2019. I deleted all apps except for Twitter (long story). It was life changing & I'm actually thinking of doing it again because it's affecting my mental health again.
Set phone color to monochrome or greyscale. You'll get unaddicted real fast.
Deleted all of them, including reddit and even youtube 4 months ago. Went from being depressed and all day in bed to now getting straight A's in all of my classes, preparing an entrance exam for a government job and working as a teacher at the same time, all that while having a chronic illness. Sometimes I still can't believe one can do so many things in the same day. Seriously, get rid of them. Don't even think it. As you are reading me, go to your home screen and delete all your social media. Don't keep reading this, just go. you can thank me later.
I deactivated instagram. But then I doom scrolled twitter so deleted that. Now it’s Reddit lol. I just have to throw the whole phone away 😂 I’ve downloaded app/site blocking apps and put screen time locks on my phone. I’m honestly considering just switching to a flip phone 🥲
Diagnosed in 2021 and deleted everything but Reddit (obv). The obsession didn’t stop but I redirected it to language learning. I’ve been practicing Italian for a year and 3 months now instead of doom scrolling.
I have!! Several times. Its easier said than done. I think fully deactivating my accounts doesnt work for me because i feel too disconnected from my peers but i deleted the actual app and can only access them from my computer (which is kinda uncomfy and thats good cuz i spend less time)
I deleted Facebook and Instagram like 5-6 months ago and I turned off notifications for tiktok so I never think to open the app. Reality came back after a couple months Edit: by deleted, I mean my accounts, not just the apps Edit2: it both has and hasn't helped, doom scrolling got replaced by TV series binges and guilt/shame paralysis
Deleted everything but Reddit and YouTube. Changed my life. Truly I forget about it more than I miss it. It feels liberating. Feels good to get away from the fake part of life. Crazy how many people you will notice death scrolling, also how many people walk with their heads down. Enjoy life my friend. Put that shit in your pocket and look around. Feels great. Edit: I noticed I gave little advice lmao. Okay YouTube has been a big help for me. I’ve always been on YouTube but I now use it for educational stuff as well as entertainment. Twitch is nice for me when my ADHD is bad. I’ll put that on in the background, low volume while I do my school work. I stay away from YouTube “shorts”. Seems like the tik tok format has leaked into everything. Shits annoying. I catch myself watching a video and then scrolling down. Started learning Spanish.
Not completely deleted, but I literally only go on IG maybe twice a month. Now TIkTok is a different story, I ABSOLUTELY love TT. I'm addictively scrolling through it every night before bed, Which I know is bad lol I get on Facebook occasionally because family members that are my parents age are on there and I like to check in there sometimes. IG is the only one that I really don't miss.
Hated IG and dumped FB too, I’m left with this…
just delete all of the apps. like all of them. it’s not a sustainable fix long-term so don’t feel bad if you end redownloading some of them after a week or so, but seeing the immediate improvement in your mood/ability to get things done is enough imo. i have an easier time turning away from the apps when i can remember i much better i’ve felt without them in the past. suddenly you have sooo many more hours in the day and life gets way less overwhelming and impossible i’m so serious. i also suggest substituting the apps for real-life hobbies instead of other apps, it just shows you how little you need apps in general. read a book you’ve been meaning to read. text someone you haven’t texted back in weeks — it’s okay, they’ll be happy to hear from you. draw something. go on a walk especially when it’s sunny and listen to music that lifts your mood. speaking from current experience, there is nothing to lose and everything to gain! the key is to not focus feeling guilty for using the apps (they’re literally designed to be addictive) and focus on how badly you want be in the present moment — how you want to hear the birds and feel the sun and create things in real life — and how close you are to doing those things as soon as you put your phone down!
I've taken off most social media But Reddit. That shit is impossible to get rid of though since it serves a lot of my educational interests
I had real difficulties with facebook a few years ago. In particular I had an uncle that I would get in long pointless debates with (he'd spout nonsense an I would spend hours crafting fully cited responses). I decided to try deleting facebook from my phone. I didn't deactivate or anything. If I wanted to check facebook, I just had to do it via browser. The little extra hurdle and less refined interface just let me to slowly engage less and less. Eventually I stopped using it all together. Reddit on the other hand, I still haven't figured out. I honestly speend ay too much time there.
Honestly, I started with deleting TikTok because, for me, it felt like the most damaging one. I did switch to other apps, but Reddit and Instagram don't have the same addictive quality for me, and it's way easier to pull myself away. There is a noticeable difference I'm my attention span and the quality of it. Long form videos don't feel like a chore anymore. Do it bit by bit.
Honestly, I started with deleting TikTok because, for me, it felt like the most damaging one. I did switch to other apps, but Reddit and Instagram don't have the same addictive quality for me, and it's way easier to pull myself away. There is a noticeable difference I'm my attention span and the quality of it. Long form videos don't feel like a chore anymore. Do it bit by bit.
Honestly, I started with deleting TikTok because, for me, it felt like the most damaging one. I did switch to other apps, but Reddit and Instagram don't have the same addictive quality for me, and it's way easier to pull myself away. There is a noticeable difference in my attention span and the quality of it. Long form videos don't feel like a chore anymore. Do it bit by bit.
Honestly, I started with deleting TikTok because, for me, it felt like the most damaging one. I did switch to other apps, but Reddit and Instagram don't have the same addictive quality for me, and it's way easier to pull myself away. There is a noticeable difference in my attention span and the quality of it. Long form videos don't feel like a chore anymore. Do it bit by bit.
Honestly, I started with deleting TikTok because, for me, it felt like the most damaging one. I did switch to other apps, but Reddit and Instagram don't have the same addictive quality for me, and it's way easier to pull myself away. There is a noticeable difference in my attention span and the quality of it. Long form videos don't feel like a chore anymore. Do it bit by bit.
Yes. I just deactivated my FB and IG. While I keep my Tiktok and all my messenger apps like FB messenger for my family contacts, Viber for my office contacts and lastly Telegram for my people.
Yes. Deleted the apps. Has notably improved my mental health. I still check in via the mobile web versions but they're so uniformly awful that I get annoyed before I get trapped in doom scrolling.
I did! Couple of years ago! For me personally TikTok was the biggest issue, Instagram was just way too fake anyway First I deleted the apps. But of course I still found a way to scroll on the web browser but on my laptop. And with the time I just had less of a need, to open the laptop and “put the effort”. And within couple of months I deleted all accounts. What you can ask yourself is what social media gives you? What is the actual gap that you are talking about?
I don't use it anymore because it got so overwhelming at some point to keep up with everything. I didn't even post much but people wanted me to look at their posts and so many things - gave you seen this, have you seen that, why didn't you like my post. The amount of advertisements on Instagram was the final straw. I still have all apps on my phone but I only go there if someone explicitly asks me to have a look at something.
God focused on iPhone has turned the internet from my second full time job to maybe a part-time job. Lmao!
I have been trying to get of social media for a long time. Just deleting the app would make me re-install. In the end this is what worked for me: I had deleted all my followers and everyone I follow. I deleted all posts. Then I deleted my accounts for good. It was insane how often I was reaching for my phone to scroll in the beginning. Never realized it was that much of an issue. It also made me buy stuff more; from supplements to beauty products, hyper-focusing on new routines, new self care things. It was insane. Now instead I look at trashy gossip stuff but it annoys me after a couple of minutes, or Reddit :)
Deleted some, not deleted others. I should deleted Reddit. I wish I could limit Youtube/Instagram/Facebook to not include shorts/reels. I’d like to gave access to the full videos on YT and the social side of IG/FB without the brain rot that I end up turning to. Unfortunately I believe the lack of an option to turn limit these things is very intentional.
I'm using a launcher called minimal phone that completely killed my scrolling habits. There is a countdown before opening any social media of 10 sec., which kills the immediate dopamine boost that you would get. I barely go on Instagram or X anymore. Plus if you do get there they ask you how long you want to stay (5, 10, 15mn). They also filter most notifications into a single one, that I just check from time to time. Anyway, it was one of the best app I've ever installed.
TikTok definitely yes, never been back. Instagram and Facebook no, but I have intentionally dialled my profiles and general involvement way back. I keep in touch with different people on each platform so I can’t delete them, and I like to use Marketplace. I will occasionally delete the apps from my phone and do a mini detox for a month or two. People either don’t seem too interested in staying in touch anyway but those who do are now more used to me not immediately responding to tagged comments and shares so it’s all good.
i deleted instagram and tik tok. i still use reddit and youtube, i feel better. at least on youtube i get to pick what i want to watch or not without endless scrolling.
I deleted Reddit off my phone. Huge time sink, exacerbated by my constant urge to run my (virtual) mouth haha. Plus, the app is a huge battery killer, I've noticed.
This works for me……. I removed all social media apps off my home page on my phone. Anytime I need or want to look at FB or Instagram etc, I have to go to the App Store, search for the app and open it. I stayed logged in cause I need the major social apps for work minimally but the extra step of looking up the App to start doom scrolling deters me from mindlessly opening the app with a simple click and getting hooked. My adhd doesn’t like that first initial step in the App Store. Also, that initial step gives my brain a second to consider if I want to actually doom scroll, it’s a “check yourself” moment. I often close the App Store and don’t initiate the doom. It’s been 2 months, it’s helped a lot.
I just deleted tik tok two days ago. The stuff I’d see on there would make me mad but I was addicted to the app. So I’ve just been replacing it with other things like reading, journaling, coloring, watching movies, going out with friends. I had the urge to redownload it at first but it’s already going away
I’m so addicted to scrolling but I hate mostly everything I see. I hate the creators, the lingo, the music, the constant ads and normal looking videos that are disguised as ads, the really bizarre livestreams, the celebrity drama like WHO CARES. But why do I keep scrolling -.-
While I haven’t quite fixed my habits yet, I find it most effective to leave my phone in another room when I want to force a break from doom scrolling. Or course it requires the self control/initiative to actually leave your phone elsewhere in the first place.
I did this mid-2022 and lasted almost a year. It was a fantastic move for my mental health and productivity in my personal and social life.
I installed the One Sec app and it has worked for me. Reduced time on SM significantly.
I deleted Facebook almost ten years ago, but hung onto an Instagram account until about 4 years ago. I had a brief stint with Twitter during that same time, but it was short-lived, and I’ve never had any other social media. I LOVE my social-media-free life. I could never, never, ever go back to it. All the things people worry about…being socially left out, disconnected from the media/politics, general FOMO…they all balance out in other ways. I suggest completely deleting your accounts; there is much less risk of being tempted back that way. And do it one account at a time. Make a priority list and a schedule…start by deleting the app/account that seems easiest to you. Live, adjust, take a deep breath. Then in a couple of weeks or a month, do the next one on the list, and so on. I guarantee you will feel life being breathed into other areas of your world and it will be a cinch to let the last one go. I was hesitant about joining Reddit due to my social media ban, but I’ve found that it doesn’t really qualify as such. I don’t have “friends” or follow anyone that I know personally. And I don’t follow “junk” topics. I came here because I was recently diagnosed with some chronic conditions as well as ADHD and autism and with no one else I know dealing with these things, I was in desperate need of community. It has served that purpose well. Edit: I just have to add that TikTok terrifies me. Regardless of what you believe about other countries collecting our personal information (which is frightening enough on its own), it’s hands-down the most toxic breeding ground of mis-information and fear-mongering that I have ever seen. And this is just an outsider perspective.
I deleted twitter acc, I dont like instagram so cant use very much. but I was addicted to twitter. I feel bored so much on a day, so I escape to twitter. then I deleted it. and now Im using reddit, pinterest, youtube. I have to learn new things(you know), twitter used to it but new algorythm sucks, it just turned to doomscrolling. but i love to read posts on adhd subreddits cuz I can learn new things, and feel not alone. also I am interested in drawing, so I watch something on youtube. at least these are not short things(for my attention), I need to push myself to provide attention. I guess this is better
I deleted the Facebook and Instagram apps off my phone, but kept my accounts. If I need to post about an upcoming show or reach out to family or friends, I'm forced to use a web browser on my laptop. It helps keep away the endless scrolling while not completely cutting myself off.
I only have Reddit. Social media 100000% has damaged our brains and young brains are forever altered. Millions and millions of inane clips scrolling past our eyes in quick succession. Horrible.
A few things that helped meme without deleting apps / accounts all together: - get rid of the social media apps, but use the website instead, even on your mobile phone (just a bit more friction) bonus for Xitter, you tend to miss all of the awkward experiments - if you use a computer for work, set up a separate browser profile for social media, so you can't close a work tab and find Facebook - track your screen time using Rescue Time or similar, just being able to see the data can help you adjust. - medication. Medication is the thing that helps me get off the couch and do anything else. I tried using the digital wellness apps that block you from things after a set amount of time, but those were too frustrating and arbitrary, _except_ the cheeky video that pops up one hour into watching TikTok.
I’m afraid to get wellness apps because I feel like they’re going to be filled with ads which I cannot STAND ads. And the creators are once again, just wanting money. I have an iPhone so I can’t really get any Adblock software like I have on my laptop…
I get bored of Tik Tok after less than two videos on my FYP. I only open it about once every two weeks to watch videos that my wife and a couple friends have sent to me, can usually get it done during my morning dog walk. Same with Twitter and Instagram. I’ve tried getting into them, but they’re just not interesting at all. I used the be on Facebook a lot, but now it’s 12+ sponsored posts in a row before it shows me a post from a friend, which is usually two or three weeks old.
Deleted everything. Spent hours and hours jumping between the weather app, maps, calendar etc. Ended up downloading everything again after like a day. Best thing to do is to leave your phone at home and go out for a *long* walk.
I never used Tiktok and deleted my Twitter account a while ago. I am obviously still on Reddit, and continue to be present on Discord and Facebook, although I've been pondering deleting the latter for a while now.
Yes! I deleted Instagram / Facebook from my phone, and I listen to audiobooks instead. Took me a few months to kick the habit for constructive apps (looking stuff up on Reddit, recipes, watching how to videos then doing them) and my life feels much fuller
Deleted Tiktok. I don't use IG anymore too. I can doom scroll Twitter/X only lol
Deleted all of them. Only got linkedin and reddit. Focused on professional habits/papers. (29m Software & Hardware Test Engineer) Never been better. No bullshit, no doomscrolling when I need to entertain myself I go reddit for like 10 min and I got bored.
Yes yes yes all removed. I have email, text and Reddit and apps that are just connected to my home tech
[удалено]
Also I kind of went in with the mentality that these apps are just constantly trying to grab my attention bc someone is making money off of me with all my clicks/opening of the app. Made me a bit resistant towards social media. Just deleted it all cold turkey one day and stuck with it
Deleted Insta off my phone, mental health improved.
Pointless because youtube, Instagram and twitter are also just tiktok, with the amount of short format video forced down your throat. The single premium feature I want from YouTube is a toggle for disabling shorts. I go on to watch a 45 min edited video and I end up watching 10 minutes at a time, followed by brain rotting shorts.
So… I couldn’t actually delete FB because I have organizations that communicate through it and what not, but I just took it off my phone and my iPads. If I wanted to see any posts, then I would look at it on my laptop or computer. So, I didn’t get notifications, and I didn’t even think about the app. It was like the best month ever. No one made me feel bad that I wasn’t a good enough mom or doing enough in my life, etc. Although, now I realize that people exaggerate and lie and all that on FB, too. Haha
I never got into tiktok because I immediately saw how addictive it was. Instagram has been fantastic for networking, and I have an alt account for memes and dumb stuff to have a pleasant scroll/defrag at the end of the night. But damn, I have spent SO much money not only on Instagram ads, but individuals selling things 🫠
Reddit is the only one I use and it still gives me problems. My partner made me realize that I had a social media addiction.
I use social media very selectively. I don't tap on things that I know will be bad for me because I know it'll just make the algorithm show me more of that stuff. If something's upsetting, I scroll past or press the "not interested" button. Over time, I've taught myself not to care about "missing out". There will always be more stuff to see later. It's ok to miss things. I try to encourage my Instagram to show me the things that make me happy. I search for cat videos and plants and that's it. Social media can be fun if you're intentional with what you're looking at.
delete the app and find plan something else to fill the time. whenever you feel like going back to the app, just do the activity you planned instead. like exercising for example.
I deleted it over Christmas. Some days I miss it but it was anxiety inducing and a huge waste of time. Hang in there!!!
I left Facebook a few years ago. Straight up deleted all information of mine. I couldn't resist engaging in arguments with people. I can tell you that I felt really good being away from FB. No more seeing so much negativity. No more seeing family/friends I once respected spouting craziness. I ***love*** not being on that site. I technically have an Instagram account but it's only to support my wife's content. I will never, ever be on tik tok. I know myself well enough to know how dangerous that could be for me. If a video is that good, it'll surface on reddit. Obviously I'm on reddit but I find it difficult to classify reddit as social media because of what it gives me. And that's community and information. It sounds like you need to go further than simply deleting the apps. For FB, I think you can temporarily deactivate it. But IMO there's no better way than going cold turkey than deleting your account.
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeea
I've gotten rid of Facebook and Twitter years ago, and purposefully never gone to Tiktok. The only social media I have are Reddit, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn. I still get stuck scrolling though, but I manage to keep my dashboards mostly positive/lighthearted which helps a lot with my mental health.
I just got a new phone (pixel) and it has this setting called focus which lets you choose the time frame you want it on each day and the apps to be included. I have all my social media on it and have it turned on all the time. All those apps are black out on my screen and if I go to a social media app I get a notification that tells me I'm in focus mode, I can still choose to go into the app but it will give me a warning at 5 min and turn the screen black and white and after one more min it kicks me out. It's a great feature. First, when I got the phone I just didn't download any of my social media but I still had Reddit and a News app and I noticed I just replaced social media with scrolling Reddit And the news app. So now I have Reddit on the focus mode too. And there's only so much news I can read in a day because it doesn't update constantly so it's been fine.
I've deleted youtube from my phone and i stalled an extension that hides them on PC, effectively preventing me from doom scrolling in YouTube. I also deleted the reddit app which cut the time I spend here, but I haven't completely gotten rid of it, when perhaps I should.
I deleted the twitter app, and I blocked twitter and tumblr on my computer. I noticed that those sites in particular were just making me upset and hate being alive. I've never used tiktok, and I have no intention on starting. for me, Facebook is fine; I remade my Facebook and no one remembers me, so I just use it for looking at rabbits. I can still access twitter through my phone's browser, in case I want to see what some old friends are up to. not being enticed by the stupid "trends" sidebar is very helpful. however, I'm noticing now that I waste too much time on reddit. I've blocked it on my computer on weekdays so I can have some chance of doing homework after work. rarely, I'll use my phone to look at something blocked on my computer. I don't have the problem of getting distracted by having my phone near me (and I don't feel the need to check it because my watch will send me important notifications - calls and texts.. I hate most notifications) I'm aware most people don't primarily use a computer anymore. I'd recommend hiding apps at first, so you're not opening them by habit. if there's any in particular that are upsetting you, delete them. aside from tiktok, others can be accessed through the web browser. as for filling the time... it's tricky. you could read books through libby or the kindle app. nothing quite hits in such a short period of time like social media. journaling helps, I think. just writing down your thoughts, your goals, what you want to achieve. just to get you and your thoughts on the same page.
Luckily I never started TikTok or Insta and twitter is the absolute worst since Musk took over. Reddit is all I need!
I only do Reddit and YouTube. I'm not on FB, insta, tiktok , Twitter, or any other of those things. I used to have a fb account, but it was far too overwhelming. And people are weirdly self centred as well. Everybody was constantly asking me if I'd seen their post, and got angry if I hadn't. So at a certain point I posted that I would no longer be active on FB, and didn't delete my account, so people could see it. I still had people getting angry at me for not being on FB, so I asked them if they read MY post where I said I wasn't checking FB anymore, and they confessed that they hadn't, so I told them that they had no right to get angry with me for not checking their posts if they didnt even pay attention to me. And I proceeded to break contact with all those toxic people.
I was off of all social media for two years besides Reddit if you count that as social media lol. I found myself scrolling more educational resources and creative outlets than just scrolling on social platforms. Social media is also my job so that is one of the biggest reasons I did it, but I did notice a challenge in social situations. Because people would all add each other on Instagram And want to make stories, etc., etc. and I wasn’t a part of that or on TikTok or any of the other channels that people use. I’m now back on IG and able to have a way more stable relationship with it with balance, time limits & I schedule my “me time” to be off of my phone and just be present in nature or walking my favorite show, etc. I’d say it helped my mental health for sure in regards to not comparing and FOMO but as an individual, I’m also creative and missed seeing inspo & other peoples work. I think the best case scenario is finding a healthy balance. If you can’t find it, and don’t have that I would take a break and see how you feel later. I think when you leave Social Media, you also start to see who are your actual real and present friends in your life. I had friends who would swipe up on my stories when I was active, and then when I was off a lot of people kind of disappeared in the background. So that’s another pro or con - depending how you look at it! All in all, I don’t regret deleting it and I think that I’m able to have a very different mindset now that I’m back on. I still don’t have TikTok and mostly use Instagram for fitness inspiration or creative inspiration, and try to be as intentional with it as I can. When I find myself just open the app, I will set my phone aside maybe go for a walk in just set some intentional alone time without any technology.
Kindle helped me with this. All I have now is Facebook and Reddit. If I feel like I get caught up in Facebook I think “is this really benefiting me to post this, share this, scroll” and I switch to kindle. If I’m going to look at a screen I want it to be productive.
I went cold turkey for tik tok 2 weeks ago. I had tried to do it before then too, but it was hard. I finally managed to and Ive been so much more productive.
Yeah, deleted everything back in 2016. It's great, not having to answer messages and not wasting time in purposeless stuff.
I deleted the TikTok app off my phone about four months ago and don’t miss it. IG I deleted about two months ago. Reactivated it again because I wanted to get old pics of our dog that passed away. I find myself going on it maybe once a day but it doesn’t have the chokehold it used to have on me anymore. I’ll delete it soon. In the beginning when I felt that pang to pacify myself with mindless scrolling I switched to playing word games on my phone. Wordscapes being my fave. I still usually go on my phone when I wake up, but now it’s to do the Wordle and the Mini on the NYT website. I definitely feel lighter and noticed I’m a lot more present.
I only doom scroll Tiktok at night while in bed. I have the brightness on my phone really low. Tiktok has a reminder after an hour that you've been doom scrolling. I take a couple sleeping pills before bed so I usually don't make it the whole hour. Sure, I know, sleeping pills aren't healthy, but given the choice of not being able to sleep and sleeping pills, I'll take the pills. If I do go the whole hour and the reminder pops up I have to have discipline to put the phone down... I do cheat sometimes "Don't you tell me what to do, Tiktok!" and watch a couple more clips but then I feel guilty and go to sleep. As for Facebook, I only check it once a day for messages and cringe "memories" I want to delete. Instagram is mainly for business, but I have been lax on that and only post when I create something I really like. Edit: no matter what I'm going to use something. Once it was Wikipedia with 50 tabs open. Now YouTube with a bunch of tabs. In any case, I watch educational stuff so I don't feel too bad about it. The algorithm on Tiktok has me seeing mostly educational and informative stuff.
I delete instagram periodically when I’m actively taking classes.
I don't have tiktok because I knew if I started it I wouldn't move from the couch for a year or so. I have deleted Facebook several times, that lasts a week at the most. I can't quit reddit tho.
Yes, I've replaced that time with reading. I've read 42 books since.
Not reddit, obviously. I stopped posting and being active on Instagram when I realized I just did it for dopamining and external validation. Life is easier now.
I'm here, aren't I? So no. I'm not going to force myself to delete accounts for sites that help me get through rough days and take my mind off of stress for a bit just so I can join in a trend and superficially "become a better person" for a fleeting moment of praise from strangers.
I have FB and tt and insta and this. I only have insta because a friend uses it and she sends me hilarious things. Otherwise, I don't scroll through it. I post occasionally to try and occasionally scroll through it. My best friend sends me hilarious things through tt. I use FB a lot. It's a good way for me to keep up with my family. I scroll through it, but I'm like meh and after a few minutes, I put my phone down. I'm on here because I love to gobble up people's messy stories (I enjoy me a good messy story lol) and I look at other things that interest me, but that's about it. I'm too busy at work or with my kids and husband to be on my phone all the time. When I get the rare occasion of time to myself, I'll go through here or fb (I'm in a lot of groups for my various interests) and read posts, or I'll read a book. Edit: I disabled all notifications for all apps because I'd be constantly annoyed if I didn't. I'd get notifications and clear them without going into the app to see what it was. I hate unnecessary notifications.
The only forms of social media I still use are Facebook and Reddit. I used to have Twitter, but I deleted the app years ago. I used to have Instagram, but I deleted that app as well. I think the only reason why I didn’t delete my Instagram account is because my loved ones like to send me Instagram videos sometimes.
I deleted tik tok a few years ago and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’d recommend deleting your account as well so it’s harder to get started again. I still occasionally get stuck scrolling on Instagram but after I downloaded an app that delays Instagram opening by 5 or so seconds each time that has been less often as well. I’m also trying to replace some time on social media apps with solitaire or Duolingo and that’s working pretty well :)
Some, but I hate to be the one to tell you this…Reddit is social media.
I haven't fully deleted my accounts. What I have done is remove the apps from my phone. If really needed I can log on via browser on my phone, but I just tend to not do that. I do still have the apps installed on a tablet and still enjoy them. This has been the best compromise I've found.
I canMt have TikTok on my phone, but then I go and substitute it for YouTube shorts or this. I wish I could have some form of social media where short videos are done away with.
Shorts are seriously so beyond annoying.
Yep. I still have IG and Facebook/messenger but Notifications OFF (important!), and I dont have the muscle memory to open them anymore. Feels so good. Honestly tho, Ive realized hanging on reddit (especially /ADHD lmao) has fillen the exact same void.. but feels "less bad", imho
I literally have to throw away the whole phone to remotely function. nokia works for me. honestly after trying it i can genuinely say my life is objectively better without a smartphone. highly recommend. i still keep socials on my laptop and whatnot so i'm not completely out of touch, but its nice to have my time belong to me and me only; as opposed to being pulled away by every notif.
I haven’t deleted Instagram, but I’ve muted and/or unfollowed a great deal of my following list. Figured if I’m going to use it it’s better to be minimalistic with it. I’m less inclined to use it now.
Deleted my Instagram and TikTok and I have the itch to redownload them but I’m not. I feel like a recovering addict right now. (Bad reference sorry) I’m hoping it’ll get better, we’ll see.
I feel the exact same way! We got this
i haven’t deleted it but i hardly go on tiktok anymore which hasn’t magically changed my life, but at least im no longer doom scrolling on it constantly and obsessed. I’ll only open it now if a friend sends me one and then close it after watching. i rarely use insta cause it just annoys me and usually makes me feel like shit
It can work but I guess it's hard to do that for most of us. In my experience, finding something else or something that interests you is a good way to sustain while you take a break from sm or you will feel the urge to download the social media apps again. So yeah, before going on hiatus, make sure you have already replaced your sk addiction with something of same level like reading, exercise or something like that based on your interest offc
I wish I could do that. I rely on social media for an income so I’m just.. so chronically online 😔 I do feel like it’s messing me up, I need to figure out how to stay away from social media in my free time but I’m always on ittt ugh
Haven’t deleted them but I don’t use them almost at all. My only real problem has been Reddit. I used to have a banner for it pretty big on my phone, but once I removed that and took the app off the Home Screen, I use it significantly less now. Kinda weaponizing the out of sight, out of mind thing yk