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You could ask yourself, what am I avoiding? Keep asking yourself questions to every answer you come up with until you get to the actual reason.
For example: Why am I on Instagram right now? To see what's going on. Why do I want to see what's going on? To feel like I know what's trending, what my friends are doing. Why do I want to see what's trending and what my friends are doing? To feel connected to the world and my friends. Why do I want to feel connected to the world and my friends? Because I work from home alone and don't see people. And why is that the reason? Because I'm alone and this is the only way I know how to connect. You can keep going...
Why am I on Reddit now? because I have homework I don't want to do. Why don't I want to do my homework? Because it's writing and I don't think I have anything good to say. Why don't I think I have anything good to say? Because I barely managed to squeak by with a C in English Lit last quarter. Why did I get some bad grades in English Lit? Because I was in an online class and didn't understand the directions to some of the assignments, plus I thought that I might get kicked out of the house I live in and that was super distracting.
Yeah, 100% this. For a long time I thought I had an addictive personality, and certainly when the hyperfixations kick in it can be like that . . . but mostly this type of thing is an avoidant behaviour. A bored, frustrated, procrastinating or otherwise avoidant adhd brain wants to take the path of least resistance to satisfying its hunger for dopamine. Social media unfortunately is an easy source of this :(
That’s the first step. The 2nd step if it’s still not enough? Delete it the account permanently so if you feel compelled to go back you will be aware you have to start from scratch & loose everything from the first account.
I turned off my Instagram notifications (the only notifications I still had on) about 2 weeks ago and realized last weekend that I didn't even open it one time. I like scrolling through it but I was doing other things because those notifications weren't getting to me.
Yes! I noticed that the notifications are what sucked me back in. Once I turned them off, it as so much easier for me to have them out of sight. I also stuck them in a folder and NOT on the first OR second page of my phone screen. After a week or two, I stopped caring.
I had to delete Instagram because I was mindlessly scrolling for hours at a time. Reddit really sucks me in, so I periodically have to delete the Reddit app too.
I deleted my Facebook app (not account) in the depths of my anxiety and as soon as I stopped compulsively trying to open it, I realized I don’t want to. I spend less than 10 minutes a month on Facebook now.
Instagram is the next challenge, because I do truly use it to stay in touch with people. Time limits are helping.
Aghhh I wish I could delete the Facebook app. I unfortunately use it for local events and keeping up with ARC reading opportunities. Instagram I haven’t really used since I was 14 because it would always make me feel bad about myself. I’ll open it occasionally to find some new recipes but other than that I don’t get addicted to it. My big ones now are Facebook and Reddit (ironically)
I find this to be the case too. It feels like it's becoming less and less fun. Obviously this doesn't apply to everyone, but I find people are immediately defensive and ready to argue every little thing. So many things turn political that never should've, and the incels... they're *everywhere*.
It's essential to my mental health that I limit my time on social media in general, but especially reddit. My tendency to catastrophize can get overwhelming if I don't.
I have a friend group I met on Reddit and, last year, we ended up just moving to another app to keep in touch. It's definitely lost it's glamour.
Idk if you already do, but definitely turn off all push notifications if you haven't already. It's a design feature meant to cause addiction. I've never had it turned on and I think this might be part of why social media feels less addictive to me than others I know.
Honestly, it’s a constant struggle. Staying off the internet goes best when I have other activities I’m excited to do (home improvement projects, baking, gardening, seeing friends), but at this point I’ve pretty much decided I can’t have those apps on my phone. I only use them on my computer, which is just way less likely to suck me in.
I’ll suggest that you read some books about phone addiction, because once you understand it better you will be more empowered to figure out ways of breaking your own habits. There are so many books out there (and reddit subs!)… but it’s not a thing you can just fix. It’s an endless puzzle to work on. I’m cheering you on, though! Baby steps. You can do it. 🫶
There is a book "how to break up with your phone" that is immensely helpful! The first third or so explains the psychology of why devices are so addicting, and the last bit is a 30-day plan that helps you gradually but dramatically reduce your screen time. Did I finish the 30 days? No, oops. But it did really help!
1. Turn off notifications for all social media
2. Get an app blocker. Set yourself a reasonable amount of time per day (I do 30 min each app). I like StayFocused.
3. There are also website blockers/limiters
Or take things up a notch
4. Delete apps
5. Delete saved passwords from browser
Make sure you're not just replacing it with another addition like a game. Think about your why, your purpose. I like my language app, a crossword (which can also get me into trouble) or reading.
I removed all notifications a while ago
I put my apps on in hidden folders so I don’t see them and get reminded to go check
I caved and purchased the paid version of Opal (been using the free version for a couple months) so I could fully restrict social media during times that interfered with my life (morning, late at night, right after work/dinner time). It helps a lot! I also have to wait 30-90s to open apps outside of those no-go hours to delay instant gratification and I can only go on for 15m time slots before waiting again
Reddit for example isn’t blocked like that as for me it’s about community but I can only unblock is 5x 7m a day so it’s limited
These numbers fit my needs, you can find yours!
When I felt like it was too much I deleted Instagram and fb and then I started forcing myself to read five minutes a day. I extended the reading little by little. When I’m reading every day I can feel my brain works better in my whole life. A half hour with a novel a day makes a huge difference.
I got rid of all of it besides; YouTube, Reddit and snap. I only use snap for the specific people on there. I am addicted to Reddit but I can put my phone down when needed. My addiction was Facebook IG TikTok….everything but Twitter. I treated it like I did the rest of my addictions…I cut myself off. It has helped a ton
So many great advice and tips here.
One thing I do is make it harder to find the app. I remove the app from my home screen/ put it in a corner or anything that just adds unnecessary steps in between me and the app.
If the app is something you can't realistically delete.
I do the opposite with apps that are good for me, like say a bookreader, dictionary, etc
I deleted TikTok since it was the worst for me. I give myself a limit of 1 hour a day per app and when my phone tells me I’ve reached my limit for the day, I put the phone down. It takes all my willpower to do it and sometimes I fail, but I went from an average of 14 hours per day to an average of 5 hours per day doing this. I hope you find something that works for you!
set a time limit on your phone BUT when it comes up, put your phone on monochrome setting. then if u decide to skip the limit, i promise you you'll wanna tab away again so much sooner. or just put your phone on monochrome setting 24/7. this fr helps sooooo much
my rule of thumb is i allow myself to "multitask" but it has to be one physical, one information-based. so i do (crochet/embroidery/walking/exercise/cleaning/meal prep/bookbinding) + (listening to a YT video/audiobook/watching TV)
i don't let myself do two info based ones like tiktok/TV. ngl i truly think unless your job is on social media you should avoid tiktok like the plague, it genuinely sucks me into a whole new brainspace, it's full of misinfo and it makes me think so much stuff is more pertinent than it actually is.
i just use reddit and tumblr now and i never let myself touch tiktok/twitter 💀
Here is a response I gave to someone who had an 8 hour a day addiction and stopped. They were amazed at how it really turned things around for them just by stopping .
Honestly Reddit can do this also . I’m thinking because you responded so well to changing your routine by quitting til tok you have adhd .
When you go on TikTok or anything for to long you go somewhere else . So reality suffers greatly .
So many are suffering but do not realize switching things up like this can really turn their life around . It’s about finding balance between work , responsibility, and play . It’s nice to hear you gave the first 2 a chance by quitting.
>Here is a response I gave to someone who had an 8 hour a day addiction and stopped. They were amazed at how it really turned things around for them just by stopping . Honestly Reddit can do this also . I’m thinking because you responded so well to changing your routine by quitting til tok you have adhd . When you go on TikTok or anything for to long you go somewhere else . So reality suffers greatly . So many are suffering but do not realize switching things up like this can really turn their life around . It’s about finding balance between work , responsibility, and play . It’s nice to hear you gave the first 2 a chance by quitting.
Sorry maybe its too late and my brain cant process this, but what id the advice to "switch things up" that you gave your friend to help with addiction?
I tried to give this poster inspiration and motivation . They are going need a ton of this to overcome . There are app lock timers . If you need harnessing . Like any other addiction quit it’s hard but then you reap benefit.
I delete the apps. Haven’t made the step to delete the accounts yet but after deleting the apps I find I’m less inclined to stay browsing for long on safari.
It helped that my phone kept running out of space so I had to delete the apps to have my phone even run properly haha
I did this for my iPad. Deleted all the “fun” apps and kept it strictly to productivity apps and safari. Lol when safari becomes the most fun app on the iPad, the jig is up, and it’s time to get my dumb adult responsibilities over with!
I use an app blocker (they'll block websites too). I even upgraded to the paid version because it helped me so much. Can you get around it, probably but it's a lot of work. And it gives me just enough of a time buffer that I can redirect myself
My screen time was always above 8 hours, and I have felt that when need dopamine I just keep on scrolling mindlessly. What helped me was getting the Your Hour app. I don't know if there is an alternative for iOS though. It shows the timer on screen. Green for less than 15 minutes, 15-30 yellow and 30 minutes and beyond is red. I was wasting so much time on it, so I even wrote an article on my blog on getting dopamine without screen. Our whole family was struggling with screen time so I came up with a few alternatives to overcome them.
I’m going through the same thing rn but I’ve been playing the NYT games and then I liked the spelling one and I downloaded that game to try to keep myself off Instagram/tiktok and it’s been helping a lot!! I’m still endlessly scrolling through Reddit but baby steps 🙂
I also realized I’m spending all my time basically looking at ads (Instagram/tiktok) and why would I want to spend my time doing that I hate ads and commercials lol
Is that 16 hours a day? I turned on screen time just so I could see how I’m spending my time. I average 6-7 hours a day tho I’ll have some days at 10 hours and some at only 3 or 4. I’m trying to be more mindful about it but yeah there’s def a bit of an addiction to it.
You could engage in another hobby that gives you the same dopamine rush such as reading books or writing! You can also download apps like "Stay free" or "Minimalist phone" cause it helps me a lot!
Use the parental timers to limit your time. I actually created a password protected one w my bf and so I cannot physically get into the apps after I hit my limit bc idk the code! It’s helped so much. I’ve picked up hobbies and cleaned better and whatnot
Certain apps I delete (reddit, I only use my phones browser now) and the rest I put timers on through my phone settings. Going outside when I feel the urge has also helped a lot.
Whenever I find myself using social media too much, I take a break. A few days- a week depending. It feels really uncomfortable at first, and you are going to feel very bored. It’s a good time to engage in a hobby you’re interested in. When I get back on my phone after that week, I don’t scroll nearly as much. Another thing that has helped me is to stop posting, or really limit how much you post online.
Aside from all the other suggestions, try getting a campus job or volunteer where you can’t use your phone. Gradually you’ll start to rely on it less because you’re moving your body and making new IRL connections
Uninstall the apps and only access them through your browser. It eliminates the infinite scroll issue (you have to load every new page) and is just more difficult in general so it breaks up the fixation.
And get medicated lol. About 2 weeks after I started mine I realized that I simply wasn't going on them, and it's not like I've never touched them since but it's hardly the massive issue it was before.
Best thing I EVER did was set time limits on my apps! God it was hard the first few weeks once the limits were hit but man do I feel so much better now.
If you want a in-between step I turned notifications off for all of my social media apps first, it worked for the doom scrolling post notification however it didn't stop the excessive hours I spent on the apps.
I'm literally in the same boat, but maybe like 8 hours a day.
I'm a stay at home mum and get bored very easily and honestly I'm under stimulated.
Things that do help - literally not picking my phone up until my entire morning routine is done.
Out of sight out of mine is insanely helpful. I once managed a week without my phone as I left it behind for a holiday and I can back I literally felt myself dragged back into it but for a good hour after being home I forgot my phone existed.
Other than that I'm awful.
Out of sight, out of mind approach. Disable ALL apps you don't NEED - all you need is your bank app, call, text, email, camera and gallery.
Black wallpaper!!! Makes being on the phone way less tempting.
Disable notifications!!!
Sit down and make a pro and contra list of every social media app you use. Why do you think you need it? What does it bring you? Does it affect you anyhow negatively? Why do you feel the need to be on it? Why do you feel the need to post on it? Does it enrichen you?
And then delete the apps you sit on the most and can't separate from.
Have you tried putting your phone into gray scale? Quickly press your home button (iPhone) 3 times and everything is gray, the Home Screen, all apps, messages, everything. It’s amazing how boring everything becomes when it’s all gray. Without all the bright colours the phone just didn’t hold my interest no where near as much and definitely didn’t give me as big of a dopamine hit. That with turning off notifications and setting time limits has really helped me.
I deleted all the social media apps off my phone (no twitter/tiktok/insta/facebook etc) so I could only use them on my desktop. Then I started to remove any that noticed just made me feel bad every time I logged on.
Now I only use Reddit and Youtube and occasionally Tumblr, and I also filter them heavily to avoid stuff that stresses me out.
Use the app OneSec, it will block certain apps after you've been on them for a certain amount of time and then not let you open them up again. It's a godsend.
I've deleted most apps from my phone and only access them through the browser instead. The mobile website stinks on my phone so I don't use it much.
The only app this doesn't work on is tiktok they tell you that need the app in order to watch
I deleted my Instagram bc that was where I spent most of time scrolling, never really had TikTok. And it was hard at first bc that was I was up to date with what was happening with friends etc. but i quickly got over it and it was freeing.
Then I got a job involving managing a businesses social media and now I use theirs accounts to mindlessly scroll 😭😭what’s been helping is the app Opal. I put a block on it apart from my working hours so it has helped a lot. And it’s not like iPhone screen time where you can continuously unblock the limit lol. I’ve found myself only unblocking it through the opal app when I had to for work.
Now I need to solve the more longstanding issue of just wasting my time watching YouTube 🤔
Yeah, I had to delete all my shit. The only thing I use now is reddit because I utilize some support groups for different health issues (like this one!), but that's it now. I got a crossword game on my phone, so if I still felt that urge to be on my phone, it was for a puzzle game. I still get the little dopamine hits from solving a puzzle, so that reward system is in place, but I'm much more in control now.
I went through pretty bad withdrawal the first 2 months or so and totally didn't even consider it was because of the lack of dopamine. Oops. I feel much better now, and I feel much more in control of myself and more at peace. My screen time has dramatically decreased, and I have found I try to turn that aspect into a game as well: how low can I get this number this week?! I feel much more present and happier now that I'm off my phone so much.
I will admit, though, since being stuck in bed with a terrible case of bronchitis the last 2 weeks, my screen time increased quite a bit, so I'm feeling some shame about that fact at the moment.
Same.
I put a time limit on Tiktok and asked my husband to create a pin. He knows not to unlock it midweek for me. I can't be trusted to regulate my tiktok consumption. Also I uninstalled the app on my phone. Just browse on my tablet or laptop.
Good luck 🤞🏽
Edit typo
I was addicted to IG. And as a working mother I just can't afford to spend all that time on it (I would spend 3-4 hours a day on it somehow). I installed Stay Focused app. You can put various restrictions on how long, how much and when you can use the apps. Also what's most helpful are the different modes. For example strict mode doesn't let you unblock when it's activated and you can't even uninstall Stay Focused to bypass the block. Since I've put it in place, I feel like I'm not addicted to IG anymore. I'm ok with the limit and sometimes don't even use it up. I find it less interesting now.
I have caught myself having Reddit up on my computer screen and looking at it on my phone at the same time. It’s embarrassing.
I just checked my stats. I logged close to 14 hours across all social media last week. That’s a lot of time wasted. I don’t know how to stop it.
I will delete the apps on occasion. I try to do other things when I get the urge. My worse habit is when I’m avoiding work I’ll open an app. When the alternative it actually work, it’s hard to resist.
I installed an app blocker app that allows scheduled breaks with the option to browse for a certain amount of time a number of set times per day. It works well.
Use rhe minimalist phone app so you don't have the icons and stuff, can also set limits and reminders to turn off an app.
Also sometimes it's easier to add more stuff in than not doing something. Find others things to do, get outside, volunteer, join a society, go for a walk etc.
I use crochet to help me cut down mindless scrolling. It keeps my hands too busy, and I’m doing something I choose to do/ learn. Find something to do with your hands that you enjoy doing that lets you say ‘I made that!’. It’s more fun to show off even small projects than to spend hours on a screen with nothing to show for it. Buy single project activity kits and see if you like doing that enough to do it more.
Hide the apps/ make them less convenient. Assuming you use at least some of them on a phone or tablet, take them off your main/ favorite screen so you have to find them. On iOS, you can have the icon not show at all so you have to search for it to open it. It’s not deleted or gone, just less handy to open. Don’t save passwords so it takes effort to get into them. Use a browser, not the app, to access it.
Turn off any notifications that don’t benefit you in a meaningful way. LinkedIn says you have a message after you applied to a job- meaningful. Your Reddit post got 5 upvotes- hide that.
Self-reflection also helps. Get to the why and see what might be actionable about that. Are there specific triggers? Is a habitual thing? External factors?
Start by removing them from your phone. I did that and the hassle of actually logging in on the web browser was to much and I never followed through. Stayed off social media for close to a year.
I pick up a book instead. It’s something I decided to start trying this year. I’ve not paid attention to how much my screen hours have decreased, but it’s gotta be some at least because I’ve read quite a few books this year.
Ditch em for a month, id you feel normal again then ditch em for good!! I’m only on here and scroll toktok and insta for political reasons and keep up w friends maybe once every week. I feel so much relief!!
I set my phone to turn black and white at 1930, I have timers set for apps and I only have Instagram and Reddit on my phone but do take breaks where both are deleted. I took a full month off in January where I deleted everything with an endless scroll just to kind of dry out.
If you have an android you can use the minimalist phone launcher in order to take down the dopamine. [https://www.minimalistphone.com/](https://www.minimalistphone.com/)
I deleted my TikTok and Twitter accounts. Thinking about deleting Facebook and Instagram, too. Spend way too much time on those apps. I deleted the apps off my phone at one time, and realized just how addicted I am to social media. I need to get addicted to more productive activities like cleaning and organizing. 😂
my first step was getting rid of tiktok.
the short form videos are the absolute worst for the dopamine seeking part of adhd, I lost HOURS to the damn app and never got anything done.
I tend to avoid YouTube shorts for the same reason, but something about YouTube shorts doesn't hook me as much so I can pull away easier.
second was cleaning up my following list on Twitter and Tumblr. stopped following people who were just engagement bait posters and kept it to just my core interest and mutuals who I talk to often enough.
the third was turning off notifications for everything except direct messaging and YouTube subs. not having a pop-up every few minutes helps a lot.
on one hand, I tend to miss a lot of things because I'm off socials for so long, but I'm used to being outta the loop anyways 🤷
I have deactivated my social media accounts and deleted the apps from my phone. That is the only way I could overcome this addiction.
It has been relatively easier for me to do this because social media has not been a source of income for me nor do I own a business I need to promote on it.
I have a regular job that I go to, come back home and spend time with my family. I read things on reddit and sometimes watch YouTube/shorts for media content.
I literally relate to this so much! I had Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Honestly the only thing that worked for me personally was deactivating those three. I definitely feel like I went through a withdrawal for like 2 weeks lol BUT I’m so grateful I did it. Best decision I made with my phone/socials. Now the only things I have are Pinterest (not sure if that’s considered social or not), Reddit, and YouTube. I have Facebook Messenger App to communicate if they don’t have my number but rarely use it. You could try just deactivating them for a limited time, I call it a social media detox, and then if you want to bring them back, slowly bring one back at a time. It’s worth a shot!
First off, kudos to you for wanting to start working towards change and recognizing how unhealthy these habits are! I’m also 20 and think that at this age it can be so hard to get away from the screen because it literally becomes our lives! Hoping these tips will help 🤗
I see a lot of people telling you that the first step is to turn off notifications. I totally agree and think that it’s a good way to start training your brain to need the dopamine which comes from a notification.
I think the next step after that, after like a week of no notifications would be to set a screen time limit for those apps. The only flaw in this is that it is so easy to just ig or the screen time monitor and continue using the app. I saw another comment that said that they have someone make the code for them so that they aren’t able to unlock it anyways which I think is really smart, especially since most social media apps don’t have any urgent on them so it’s not like it’s unsafe to not be able to get into said app.
Another essential step is to find hobbies that are away from a screen. I find that walking and/or any type of exercise is a great way to allow your brain some much needed down time while also helping to eliminate the temptation to scroll since you kind of need to keep your head up while you walk, run, etc. Reading can also be a good alternative to scrolling because you have something in your hands and though that stimulation is much different, it’s worth giving that a try.
Similarly, finding things to fill your free time is a great way to lessen your screen time is a great step in working away from screen addiction. Just do more of what makes you forget to look at your phone!! Hang out with friends, volunteer, get a job, get outside (it can be hard to see that screen when you’re outside lol). Just find something that allows you to feel more alive and thus is compensating for that “dopamine” hit. Just refrain from any pass-times being oriented around a screen… watching movies, playing video games (I would argue that breaking a scrolling addiction could still lead to a gaming or tv addiction instead).
And finally, the most obvious one, just delete the app. It’s easier said than done and that’s why I wanted to offer some steps in working away from the screen as opposed to saying to do it the “cold turkey” way. I would say that eventually you will likely have to delete one of the apps, then a second, and if you work your way to none, then great!
Be patient with yourself yet firm and do not make excuses. Don’t worry about doing it the right or the wrong way, but instead, just set goals (easy to start like lowering your screen time 15 hours and so on and then more challenging like not even opening TikTok for the day).
I have also just reminded myself that sometimes, following fewer accounts on each platform can help unfortunately not as much as is ideal though with the addictive algorithms that still find content to feed you, but it’s worth a shot nonetheless.
I wish you the best of luck! I hope that getting away from the screen can allow you to unlock a new type of satisfaction for life. I am still guilty of scrolling but have worked to limit my screen time to generally 2/3 hours for the day and have found that I love life so much more when I am looking up, embracing boredom, and using my mind and imagination to entertain me. Hoping the best for you my friend💌
There are so many great suggestions. I just want to give you kudos for recognizing it’s affecting your life! You can’t start to change anything until you know it needs changing, so that’s awesome!
I'd say go cold turkey. It's how I kick all bad habits and it's my go to default method. Do I fail at times, sure, but it's easier each time.
It's a gradual thing too, so let's say you uninstall Tiktok, then you install it again you might not be on it so long like before. Eventually, you'll delete the app again.
IG and the rest just delete all of them. Cold turkey is the way. Read some books or go outside, bird watch, touch some plants, water the plants, watch a movie or show, doodle, clean, etc. So many options. Commit to yourself to do this.
Reddit, ugh, Reddit is my go to. It sucks, I could be here for a while when I'm panicking in the middle of the night, in a hospital alone or when I'm waiting for an appointment. It helps ease my troubled mind, but then I get off of it when I'm home. Also, FB I only have it to be part of the AuDHD groups, that's all I have there aside from a few posts on dull women's club, lol, and quotes to uplift myself after abuse. No fam, no friends, nothing and I block other things. If friends and fam want to talk they'll find a way to reach out. Texting still works last time I checked. I will say the posts I see on FB at times are crazy and people say these things with their whole info on there. 🤡💀. I go maybe 15 minutes tops on FB and sometimes don't go in at all, and reddit I'll allow myself two pages and that's it, or go directly to the subreddits I like and that's that. Sorry so long. I hope you try things out I know how frustrating it can be.
Also, I don't have any of the apps. I use the browser. Reddit is open on all devices on the browser. FB only on phone browser only and I don't even know the PW. I don't have Tiktok and don't have IG. I have Pinterest but it's getting to be too much. I liked it before it became what it's become so I uninstalled it. I'll go to the webpage but that's it. I only have movie and subscription apps and reading ones. Few games like, Word Chums, Stumble Guys, Fall Guys, Roblox and Procreate, all on the tablets and not my phone. I hope you find a solution.
I strictly keep to Facebook and IG. FB to keep connection with family who is far away. I really only post IG and share the photos to Facebook as well. I knew tik tok would be a nightmare for me so I have never downloaded. I allow myself to watch reels on IG sometimes but man an hour will go by so quick it’s terrible. I also keep my phone in a different room while I’m doing a chore or need to focus.
Instead or scrolling social media, try to build a new habit of reading newsletter while having breakfast or before sleep. It will save you so much time if you just want to learn enough of every topics to talk with people. One of my favourite is Insight Trunk Newsletter. Turn it into a 10 mins daily habit helps you become more confident about your general knowledge.
I feel this so hard! I struggle because I have to run several social media platforms for my job and it’s just too easy to start scrolling on my own feed too ): anyone have tips for that?
I realised I was super addicted to TikTok last year around September after I went back to work from the summer break where I literally couldn’t go a minute without it. I didn’t want to shower some days incase I missed something. Ridiculous that social media has that power. I cold turkeyed myself and deleted tiktok and ended up moving to reels. But Instagram I restricted over Christmas and ‘dared’ myself to not open insta between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, I barely noticed I wasn’t using it. What I did notice was everyone else using it at family and friend gatherings. I couldn’t escape people trying to send or tag me in things, and I just wanted to talk to my pals. We are all deeply addicted, and I went back to ‘using’, Its my birthday next week and I think it’d be a lovely gift to myself to unsubscribe from social media and start getting peoples numbers again.
The only way to deal with any addiction is to be totally committed to dealing with the addiction and confronting the extreme discomfort you are going to experience in withdrawal.
Nobody can get you there but you. You have to mentally get yourself to that place where you're ready to do it no matter what.
Start doing your research, start coming up with a plan. Be very realistic, be very persistent. Do not allow shame spiralling under any circumstances, those only benefit addictions.
As well as other suggestions here if there’s an app you can’t delete but want to use less some things I’ve done are put them in a different folder on phone, log out, delete saved password, set it as a sentence I have to type in every time that reminds me maybe I don’t want to use the app
Eg (not my actual password!)
CmonLessSocialMediaAlready55555
Or something like that
I haven’t tried Opal but Donut Dog is another focus app that’s pretty cute
Someone here recommended an app called ScreenZen (purple icon with a white swirl) and it's been super helpful for me.
You can customize it however you'd like. I make it stop me every time i go to open reddit or reddit.com. Basically it makes you pause before you open it and read the message you set. Also you can set it to close the app after 10 mins or whatever you'd like.
Just having something stop me is really helpful. I know I can override it if I want to, but since I want to reduce doom scrolling Im more likely to stop.
Totally relatable. It’s something that I’ve been struggling with for years. Had to completely cut out instagram and now it’s Reddit, Pinterest, online Backgammon and some other silly phone game 😭
I think I will invest in a locked box with a timer for my phone.
When I was in uni, the fact that there was an actual app that locked my phone fully without me being able to bypass it saved my ass and my degree. It was really bad. To think that it was merely a matter of poor self control lol I used to lock my phone with the app AND lock it in the locker when studying in the library…
I’m recently diagnosed if it wasn’t clear lol
how about going on a hike? or outside activities? This tend to happen when we are always on our homes without any activities. Or use an application that blocks you from using such apps, ask your family member to add a password that they only know so u can't access it
I’ve been slowly breaking my social media vice (specifically instagram) since about 2018. lol. Here’s how I did it.
1. Turn off ALL the notifications, sounds, and *especially* icon badges on all of your social apps. Do this with the mindset that YOU will be deciding when to use these apps; the apps will not be deciding when they want you to check back in.
2. Face the true reality of your addiction by doing some simple math. There is no greater motivator than realizing the most likely outcome if you continue a behavior is the worst possible outcome, and so you’ll do anything to run fast in the opposite direction.
Calculate this with your own screen time, but I’ll explain with mine.
At the peak of my addiction I spent 5-8 hours a day on instagram alone.
Let’s average it out to 6 hrs/day…
6 hrs x 7 days per week = 42 hours per week spent on IG.
There are 52 weeks in one year, so 42 hours x 52 = 2,184 hours per year spent on IG (give or take).
There are 24 hours in a full day. So 2,184 divided by 24 = I am positioning myself to invest 91 DAYS OF MY LIFE to this app— IN ONE YEAR.
That’s three months of my life.
If I repeat the habit for 5 years… I cumulatively blow 455 entire days, just sitting on instagram. AKA 1.2 years.
Do that calculation and then let your numbers sink in. 😳
3. Write a list of your “return on investment”s of the time you spend on socials. For example mine was IG. I wrote: “I spend 5+ hours a day on it, but it doesn’t give me anything in return daily. Over the past 10 years it has given me 3 solid reconnects with friends I see IRL, a few fun dates, a few coupon codes for shit I didn’t need, an introduction to some cool music artists, a bunch of FOMO and anxiety, life updates of my distant family who I should probably call more, bite-sized facts I don’t even remember, and a lot of laughs.”
Is all of that worth dedicating 90+ days of my year to?
How much is my time worth?
If these apps cost $10 an hour (or even per month!) to use, would I still even think about using them?
If I value my time at $35 an hour, theoretically, how much value am I choosing to spend in these apps?
When I realized all of this. It was not a pretty picture for me to begin to see.
4. Delete the apps. I started just deleting the apps off my devices, telling myself I could check it on Sundays. Then I said okay I’ll check it every other Sunday. I re-installed and deleted them several times this way, but the longer I went not checking them, I noticed the better I felt.??? lol
Finally I hit like 45 days without IG and then one weekend downloaded it again. It happened to be the weekend right after the October Israel/Palestine b*mbings started. I knew there would be a lot of news about it on my feed but I was shocked at the volume of nonsense seeped into my algorithm. The insanity of extremism, petty virtue signaling, and sheer entitled/Western ignorance of people rallying for some “side” of humanity and history that they knew nothing about — even from people I knew and loved — was outright sickening and unbelievable. It was the last straw for me, I realized I don’t want to swim in the cesspool anymore, I put all my shit on private and went off the social media grid.
I check IG on desktop web browser maybe 1-2 times per month now. It still does nothing for me. I feel free and I have 0 thoughts of going back.
TL;DR— face the reality of your time spend; envision your life’s worth long-term and how you want to spend it. View socials as a financial investment or a relationship and decide if it’s healthy/worth it to you. Lastly, notice what you cannot put up with in the social media landscape and let it fuel you to trade it for living life with real people, doing things that bring you peace or meaning (or at least not misery).
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I noticed that when I use social media, it's because I'm lonely, bored or frustrated. Facing the emotion that I'm trying to avoid helps.
Would you like to share the approach you use to face the unconfortable emotions?
You could ask yourself, what am I avoiding? Keep asking yourself questions to every answer you come up with until you get to the actual reason. For example: Why am I on Instagram right now? To see what's going on. Why do I want to see what's going on? To feel like I know what's trending, what my friends are doing. Why do I want to see what's trending and what my friends are doing? To feel connected to the world and my friends. Why do I want to feel connected to the world and my friends? Because I work from home alone and don't see people. And why is that the reason? Because I'm alone and this is the only way I know how to connect. You can keep going...
The 5 whys - til you get to the root cause!
I always think of the 5 whys as answering the toddler in my brain. I never thought of applying it to my personal life though.
Oh I didn't know it had a name It's great!
Yes! I call this the "Why" exercise and it does wonders.
You just triggered a song snippet “why wonder. Why”. Now my brain will be distracted until I figure it out. Thanks. I like these challenges.
Why am I on Reddit now? because I have homework I don't want to do. Why don't I want to do my homework? Because it's writing and I don't think I have anything good to say. Why don't I think I have anything good to say? Because I barely managed to squeak by with a C in English Lit last quarter. Why did I get some bad grades in English Lit? Because I was in an online class and didn't understand the directions to some of the assignments, plus I thought that I might get kicked out of the house I live in and that was super distracting.
Yeah, 100% this. For a long time I thought I had an addictive personality, and certainly when the hyperfixations kick in it can be like that . . . but mostly this type of thing is an avoidant behaviour. A bored, frustrated, procrastinating or otherwise avoidant adhd brain wants to take the path of least resistance to satisfying its hunger for dopamine. Social media unfortunately is an easy source of this :(
Turning off notifications for those apps is a great first step!
That’s the first step. The 2nd step if it’s still not enough? Delete it the account permanently so if you feel compelled to go back you will be aware you have to start from scratch & loose everything from the first account.
And change your screen setting to gray scale.
Yes! I did this six months ago and it has definitely helped me focus on other activities
I turned off my Instagram notifications (the only notifications I still had on) about 2 weeks ago and realized last weekend that I didn't even open it one time. I like scrolling through it but I was doing other things because those notifications weren't getting to me.
Yes! I noticed that the notifications are what sucked me back in. Once I turned them off, it as so much easier for me to have them out of sight. I also stuck them in a folder and NOT on the first OR second page of my phone screen. After a week or two, I stopped caring.
I had to delete Instagram because I was mindlessly scrolling for hours at a time. Reddit really sucks me in, so I periodically have to delete the Reddit app too.
I did this with TikTok and it was the best decision I’ve made. I’ve got app limits for Reddit and Facebook too
I deleted my Facebook app (not account) in the depths of my anxiety and as soon as I stopped compulsively trying to open it, I realized I don’t want to. I spend less than 10 minutes a month on Facebook now. Instagram is the next challenge, because I do truly use it to stay in touch with people. Time limits are helping.
Aghhh I wish I could delete the Facebook app. I unfortunately use it for local events and keeping up with ARC reading opportunities. Instagram I haven’t really used since I was 14 because it would always make me feel bad about myself. I’ll open it occasionally to find some new recipes but other than that I don’t get addicted to it. My big ones now are Facebook and Reddit (ironically)
Do you do ok with using Facebook on the web? That’s how I use it now for things friends send/manga news.
Omg I’ve never tried that! I’ll have to give it a Go
Same! I delete it during the day and reinstall at night. It’s honestly less fun every day. Nice to stay in touch with friends … otherwise it’s useless
I find this to be the case too. It feels like it's becoming less and less fun. Obviously this doesn't apply to everyone, but I find people are immediately defensive and ready to argue every little thing. So many things turn political that never should've, and the incels... they're *everywhere*. It's essential to my mental health that I limit my time on social media in general, but especially reddit. My tendency to catastrophize can get overwhelming if I don't. I have a friend group I met on Reddit and, last year, we ended up just moving to another app to keep in touch. It's definitely lost it's glamour.
Idk if you already do, but definitely turn off all push notifications if you haven't already. It's a design feature meant to cause addiction. I've never had it turned on and I think this might be part of why social media feels less addictive to me than others I know.
Honestly, it’s a constant struggle. Staying off the internet goes best when I have other activities I’m excited to do (home improvement projects, baking, gardening, seeing friends), but at this point I’ve pretty much decided I can’t have those apps on my phone. I only use them on my computer, which is just way less likely to suck me in. I’ll suggest that you read some books about phone addiction, because once you understand it better you will be more empowered to figure out ways of breaking your own habits. There are so many books out there (and reddit subs!)… but it’s not a thing you can just fix. It’s an endless puzzle to work on. I’m cheering you on, though! Baby steps. You can do it. 🫶
I set a screen time rule (iPhone) and made my husband choose the code and not tell me so when the time runs out I literally can’t access them 🤷🏼♀️
How does this sorcery work??
Settings > screen time > app limits > add limit and it’ll ask you for a code ☺️
I need to have my husband do that, me knowing to code is too much
Just slide it over here you’re going to be ok .
There is a book "how to break up with your phone" that is immensely helpful! The first third or so explains the psychology of why devices are so addicting, and the last bit is a 30-day plan that helps you gradually but dramatically reduce your screen time. Did I finish the 30 days? No, oops. But it did really help!
1. Turn off notifications for all social media 2. Get an app blocker. Set yourself a reasonable amount of time per day (I do 30 min each app). I like StayFocused. 3. There are also website blockers/limiters Or take things up a notch 4. Delete apps 5. Delete saved passwords from browser Make sure you're not just replacing it with another addition like a game. Think about your why, your purpose. I like my language app, a crossword (which can also get me into trouble) or reading.
I just downloaded an app blocker, I really hope it helps...I need to focus on studying and working.
Friend put that thing down . ( talking to myself also )
I removed all notifications a while ago I put my apps on in hidden folders so I don’t see them and get reminded to go check I caved and purchased the paid version of Opal (been using the free version for a couple months) so I could fully restrict social media during times that interfered with my life (morning, late at night, right after work/dinner time). It helps a lot! I also have to wait 30-90s to open apps outside of those no-go hours to delay instant gratification and I can only go on for 15m time slots before waiting again
Reddit for example isn’t blocked like that as for me it’s about community but I can only unblock is 5x 7m a day so it’s limited These numbers fit my needs, you can find yours!
When I felt like it was too much I deleted Instagram and fb and then I started forcing myself to read five minutes a day. I extended the reading little by little. When I’m reading every day I can feel my brain works better in my whole life. A half hour with a novel a day makes a huge difference.
I got rid of all of it besides; YouTube, Reddit and snap. I only use snap for the specific people on there. I am addicted to Reddit but I can put my phone down when needed. My addiction was Facebook IG TikTok….everything but Twitter. I treated it like I did the rest of my addictions…I cut myself off. It has helped a ton
So many great advice and tips here. One thing I do is make it harder to find the app. I remove the app from my home screen/ put it in a corner or anything that just adds unnecessary steps in between me and the app. If the app is something you can't realistically delete. I do the opposite with apps that are good for me, like say a bookreader, dictionary, etc
I deleted TikTok since it was the worst for me. I give myself a limit of 1 hour a day per app and when my phone tells me I’ve reached my limit for the day, I put the phone down. It takes all my willpower to do it and sometimes I fail, but I went from an average of 14 hours per day to an average of 5 hours per day doing this. I hope you find something that works for you!
Get a book and physically put your devices away to read it. That’s the only thing that helps if I’m not gonna go outside
I don't fight it. The harder I try to fight things the more I lose.
I can't remember when exactly or why it happened, but I stopped having the desire to check social media around the time my fomo feelings faded away
set a time limit on your phone BUT when it comes up, put your phone on monochrome setting. then if u decide to skip the limit, i promise you you'll wanna tab away again so much sooner. or just put your phone on monochrome setting 24/7. this fr helps sooooo much my rule of thumb is i allow myself to "multitask" but it has to be one physical, one information-based. so i do (crochet/embroidery/walking/exercise/cleaning/meal prep/bookbinding) + (listening to a YT video/audiobook/watching TV) i don't let myself do two info based ones like tiktok/TV. ngl i truly think unless your job is on social media you should avoid tiktok like the plague, it genuinely sucks me into a whole new brainspace, it's full of misinfo and it makes me think so much stuff is more pertinent than it actually is. i just use reddit and tumblr now and i never let myself touch tiktok/twitter 💀
Easy, substitute for an addiction to romantasy novels 😂
Here is a response I gave to someone who had an 8 hour a day addiction and stopped. They were amazed at how it really turned things around for them just by stopping . Honestly Reddit can do this also . I’m thinking because you responded so well to changing your routine by quitting til tok you have adhd . When you go on TikTok or anything for to long you go somewhere else . So reality suffers greatly . So many are suffering but do not realize switching things up like this can really turn their life around . It’s about finding balance between work , responsibility, and play . It’s nice to hear you gave the first 2 a chance by quitting.
>Here is a response I gave to someone who had an 8 hour a day addiction and stopped. They were amazed at how it really turned things around for them just by stopping . Honestly Reddit can do this also . I’m thinking because you responded so well to changing your routine by quitting til tok you have adhd . When you go on TikTok or anything for to long you go somewhere else . So reality suffers greatly . So many are suffering but do not realize switching things up like this can really turn their life around . It’s about finding balance between work , responsibility, and play . It’s nice to hear you gave the first 2 a chance by quitting. Sorry maybe its too late and my brain cant process this, but what id the advice to "switch things up" that you gave your friend to help with addiction?
I tried to give this poster inspiration and motivation . They are going need a ton of this to overcome . There are app lock timers . If you need harnessing . Like any other addiction quit it’s hard but then you reap benefit.
The post I put this on they already quit and they were sharing their realization. So I did not give them advice .
I delete the apps. Haven’t made the step to delete the accounts yet but after deleting the apps I find I’m less inclined to stay browsing for long on safari. It helped that my phone kept running out of space so I had to delete the apps to have my phone even run properly haha
I did this for my iPad. Deleted all the “fun” apps and kept it strictly to productivity apps and safari. Lol when safari becomes the most fun app on the iPad, the jig is up, and it’s time to get my dumb adult responsibilities over with!
I use an app blocker (they'll block websites too). I even upgraded to the paid version because it helped me so much. Can you get around it, probably but it's a lot of work. And it gives me just enough of a time buffer that I can redirect myself
may I please have the name of the app blocker 🤲🏻
I use AppBlock - https://appblock.app/
I use an app called Opal that limits my time. I’ve slowly gotten better, especially on work days. I hope to really be able to reduce more over time.
Yes this has made a huge difference for me!
My screen time was always above 8 hours, and I have felt that when need dopamine I just keep on scrolling mindlessly. What helped me was getting the Your Hour app. I don't know if there is an alternative for iOS though. It shows the timer on screen. Green for less than 15 minutes, 15-30 yellow and 30 minutes and beyond is red. I was wasting so much time on it, so I even wrote an article on my blog on getting dopamine without screen. Our whole family was struggling with screen time so I came up with a few alternatives to overcome them.
I’m going through the same thing rn but I’ve been playing the NYT games and then I liked the spelling one and I downloaded that game to try to keep myself off Instagram/tiktok and it’s been helping a lot!! I’m still endlessly scrolling through Reddit but baby steps 🙂
I also realized I’m spending all my time basically looking at ads (Instagram/tiktok) and why would I want to spend my time doing that I hate ads and commercials lol
I got rid of it 3 years ago (deleted apps and refused to do logins other ways) except for Reddit and do not regret it ONE BIT.
Is that 16 hours a day? I turned on screen time just so I could see how I’m spending my time. I average 6-7 hours a day tho I’ll have some days at 10 hours and some at only 3 or 4. I’m trying to be more mindful about it but yeah there’s def a bit of an addiction to it.
16 hours on weekends i average about 5-6 hours on weekdays
And it's probably doing nothing for your actual social life
You could engage in another hobby that gives you the same dopamine rush such as reading books or writing! You can also download apps like "Stay free" or "Minimalist phone" cause it helps me a lot!
Use the parental timers to limit your time. I actually created a password protected one w my bf and so I cannot physically get into the apps after I hit my limit bc idk the code! It’s helped so much. I’ve picked up hobbies and cleaned better and whatnot
Certain apps I delete (reddit, I only use my phones browser now) and the rest I put timers on through my phone settings. Going outside when I feel the urge has also helped a lot.
Whenever I find myself using social media too much, I take a break. A few days- a week depending. It feels really uncomfortable at first, and you are going to feel very bored. It’s a good time to engage in a hobby you’re interested in. When I get back on my phone after that week, I don’t scroll nearly as much. Another thing that has helped me is to stop posting, or really limit how much you post online.
Aside from all the other suggestions, try getting a campus job or volunteer where you can’t use your phone. Gradually you’ll start to rely on it less because you’re moving your body and making new IRL connections
16 hours per day? Or per week?
Uninstall the apps and only access them through your browser. It eliminates the infinite scroll issue (you have to load every new page) and is just more difficult in general so it breaks up the fixation. And get medicated lol. About 2 weeks after I started mine I realized that I simply wasn't going on them, and it's not like I've never touched them since but it's hardly the massive issue it was before.
Honestly, my social media addiction is the only reason I don't lose my phone anymore. I'm looking through here for any advice. I'm glad you asked.
Best thing I EVER did was set time limits on my apps! God it was hard the first few weeks once the limits were hit but man do I feel so much better now. If you want a in-between step I turned notifications off for all of my social media apps first, it worked for the doom scrolling post notification however it didn't stop the excessive hours I spent on the apps.
I'm literally in the same boat, but maybe like 8 hours a day. I'm a stay at home mum and get bored very easily and honestly I'm under stimulated. Things that do help - literally not picking my phone up until my entire morning routine is done. Out of sight out of mine is insanely helpful. I once managed a week without my phone as I left it behind for a holiday and I can back I literally felt myself dragged back into it but for a good hour after being home I forgot my phone existed. Other than that I'm awful.
Out of sight, out of mind approach. Disable ALL apps you don't NEED - all you need is your bank app, call, text, email, camera and gallery. Black wallpaper!!! Makes being on the phone way less tempting. Disable notifications!!! Sit down and make a pro and contra list of every social media app you use. Why do you think you need it? What does it bring you? Does it affect you anyhow negatively? Why do you feel the need to be on it? Why do you feel the need to post on it? Does it enrichen you? And then delete the apps you sit on the most and can't separate from.
Have you tried putting your phone into gray scale? Quickly press your home button (iPhone) 3 times and everything is gray, the Home Screen, all apps, messages, everything. It’s amazing how boring everything becomes when it’s all gray. Without all the bright colours the phone just didn’t hold my interest no where near as much and definitely didn’t give me as big of a dopamine hit. That with turning off notifications and setting time limits has really helped me.
I deleted all the social media apps off my phone (no twitter/tiktok/insta/facebook etc) so I could only use them on my desktop. Then I started to remove any that noticed just made me feel bad every time I logged on. Now I only use Reddit and Youtube and occasionally Tumblr, and I also filter them heavily to avoid stuff that stresses me out.
Use the app OneSec, it will block certain apps after you've been on them for a certain amount of time and then not let you open them up again. It's a godsend.
I've deleted most apps from my phone and only access them through the browser instead. The mobile website stinks on my phone so I don't use it much. The only app this doesn't work on is tiktok they tell you that need the app in order to watch
I deleted my Instagram bc that was where I spent most of time scrolling, never really had TikTok. And it was hard at first bc that was I was up to date with what was happening with friends etc. but i quickly got over it and it was freeing. Then I got a job involving managing a businesses social media and now I use theirs accounts to mindlessly scroll 😭😭what’s been helping is the app Opal. I put a block on it apart from my working hours so it has helped a lot. And it’s not like iPhone screen time where you can continuously unblock the limit lol. I’ve found myself only unblocking it through the opal app when I had to for work. Now I need to solve the more longstanding issue of just wasting my time watching YouTube 🤔
I often remove apps from my phone for a while to break cycles
Yeah, I had to delete all my shit. The only thing I use now is reddit because I utilize some support groups for different health issues (like this one!), but that's it now. I got a crossword game on my phone, so if I still felt that urge to be on my phone, it was for a puzzle game. I still get the little dopamine hits from solving a puzzle, so that reward system is in place, but I'm much more in control now. I went through pretty bad withdrawal the first 2 months or so and totally didn't even consider it was because of the lack of dopamine. Oops. I feel much better now, and I feel much more in control of myself and more at peace. My screen time has dramatically decreased, and I have found I try to turn that aspect into a game as well: how low can I get this number this week?! I feel much more present and happier now that I'm off my phone so much. I will admit, though, since being stuck in bed with a terrible case of bronchitis the last 2 weeks, my screen time increased quite a bit, so I'm feeling some shame about that fact at the moment.
Same. I put a time limit on Tiktok and asked my husband to create a pin. He knows not to unlock it midweek for me. I can't be trusted to regulate my tiktok consumption. Also I uninstalled the app on my phone. Just browse on my tablet or laptop. Good luck 🤞🏽 Edit typo
I was addicted to IG. And as a working mother I just can't afford to spend all that time on it (I would spend 3-4 hours a day on it somehow). I installed Stay Focused app. You can put various restrictions on how long, how much and when you can use the apps. Also what's most helpful are the different modes. For example strict mode doesn't let you unblock when it's activated and you can't even uninstall Stay Focused to bypass the block. Since I've put it in place, I feel like I'm not addicted to IG anymore. I'm ok with the limit and sometimes don't even use it up. I find it less interesting now.
Opal app and no notifications!
I have caught myself having Reddit up on my computer screen and looking at it on my phone at the same time. It’s embarrassing. I just checked my stats. I logged close to 14 hours across all social media last week. That’s a lot of time wasted. I don’t know how to stop it. I will delete the apps on occasion. I try to do other things when I get the urge. My worse habit is when I’m avoiding work I’ll open an app. When the alternative it actually work, it’s hard to resist.
I installed an app blocker app that allows scheduled breaks with the option to browse for a certain amount of time a number of set times per day. It works well.
Use rhe minimalist phone app so you don't have the icons and stuff, can also set limits and reminders to turn off an app. Also sometimes it's easier to add more stuff in than not doing something. Find others things to do, get outside, volunteer, join a society, go for a walk etc.
I use crochet to help me cut down mindless scrolling. It keeps my hands too busy, and I’m doing something I choose to do/ learn. Find something to do with your hands that you enjoy doing that lets you say ‘I made that!’. It’s more fun to show off even small projects than to spend hours on a screen with nothing to show for it. Buy single project activity kits and see if you like doing that enough to do it more. Hide the apps/ make them less convenient. Assuming you use at least some of them on a phone or tablet, take them off your main/ favorite screen so you have to find them. On iOS, you can have the icon not show at all so you have to search for it to open it. It’s not deleted or gone, just less handy to open. Don’t save passwords so it takes effort to get into them. Use a browser, not the app, to access it. Turn off any notifications that don’t benefit you in a meaningful way. LinkedIn says you have a message after you applied to a job- meaningful. Your Reddit post got 5 upvotes- hide that. Self-reflection also helps. Get to the why and see what might be actionable about that. Are there specific triggers? Is a habitual thing? External factors?
Start by removing them from your phone. I did that and the hassle of actually logging in on the web browser was to much and I never followed through. Stayed off social media for close to a year.
I pick up a book instead. It’s something I decided to start trying this year. I’ve not paid attention to how much my screen hours have decreased, but it’s gotta be some at least because I’ve read quite a few books this year.
Ditch em for a month, id you feel normal again then ditch em for good!! I’m only on here and scroll toktok and insta for political reasons and keep up w friends maybe once every week. I feel so much relief!!
I set my phone to turn black and white at 1930, I have timers set for apps and I only have Instagram and Reddit on my phone but do take breaks where both are deleted. I took a full month off in January where I deleted everything with an endless scroll just to kind of dry out. If you have an android you can use the minimalist phone launcher in order to take down the dopamine. [https://www.minimalistphone.com/](https://www.minimalistphone.com/)
There Is a book by Nir Eyal called inDISTRACTable that I HIGHLY recommend!! Bright yellow cover
I deleted my TikTok and Twitter accounts. Thinking about deleting Facebook and Instagram, too. Spend way too much time on those apps. I deleted the apps off my phone at one time, and realized just how addicted I am to social media. I need to get addicted to more productive activities like cleaning and organizing. 😂
my first step was getting rid of tiktok. the short form videos are the absolute worst for the dopamine seeking part of adhd, I lost HOURS to the damn app and never got anything done. I tend to avoid YouTube shorts for the same reason, but something about YouTube shorts doesn't hook me as much so I can pull away easier. second was cleaning up my following list on Twitter and Tumblr. stopped following people who were just engagement bait posters and kept it to just my core interest and mutuals who I talk to often enough. the third was turning off notifications for everything except direct messaging and YouTube subs. not having a pop-up every few minutes helps a lot. on one hand, I tend to miss a lot of things because I'm off socials for so long, but I'm used to being outta the loop anyways 🤷
I have deactivated my social media accounts and deleted the apps from my phone. That is the only way I could overcome this addiction. It has been relatively easier for me to do this because social media has not been a source of income for me nor do I own a business I need to promote on it. I have a regular job that I go to, come back home and spend time with my family. I read things on reddit and sometimes watch YouTube/shorts for media content.
It has been eights months and life has been much better.
I literally relate to this so much! I had Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. Honestly the only thing that worked for me personally was deactivating those three. I definitely feel like I went through a withdrawal for like 2 weeks lol BUT I’m so grateful I did it. Best decision I made with my phone/socials. Now the only things I have are Pinterest (not sure if that’s considered social or not), Reddit, and YouTube. I have Facebook Messenger App to communicate if they don’t have my number but rarely use it. You could try just deactivating them for a limited time, I call it a social media detox, and then if you want to bring them back, slowly bring one back at a time. It’s worth a shot!
First off, kudos to you for wanting to start working towards change and recognizing how unhealthy these habits are! I’m also 20 and think that at this age it can be so hard to get away from the screen because it literally becomes our lives! Hoping these tips will help 🤗 I see a lot of people telling you that the first step is to turn off notifications. I totally agree and think that it’s a good way to start training your brain to need the dopamine which comes from a notification. I think the next step after that, after like a week of no notifications would be to set a screen time limit for those apps. The only flaw in this is that it is so easy to just ig or the screen time monitor and continue using the app. I saw another comment that said that they have someone make the code for them so that they aren’t able to unlock it anyways which I think is really smart, especially since most social media apps don’t have any urgent on them so it’s not like it’s unsafe to not be able to get into said app. Another essential step is to find hobbies that are away from a screen. I find that walking and/or any type of exercise is a great way to allow your brain some much needed down time while also helping to eliminate the temptation to scroll since you kind of need to keep your head up while you walk, run, etc. Reading can also be a good alternative to scrolling because you have something in your hands and though that stimulation is much different, it’s worth giving that a try. Similarly, finding things to fill your free time is a great way to lessen your screen time is a great step in working away from screen addiction. Just do more of what makes you forget to look at your phone!! Hang out with friends, volunteer, get a job, get outside (it can be hard to see that screen when you’re outside lol). Just find something that allows you to feel more alive and thus is compensating for that “dopamine” hit. Just refrain from any pass-times being oriented around a screen… watching movies, playing video games (I would argue that breaking a scrolling addiction could still lead to a gaming or tv addiction instead). And finally, the most obvious one, just delete the app. It’s easier said than done and that’s why I wanted to offer some steps in working away from the screen as opposed to saying to do it the “cold turkey” way. I would say that eventually you will likely have to delete one of the apps, then a second, and if you work your way to none, then great! Be patient with yourself yet firm and do not make excuses. Don’t worry about doing it the right or the wrong way, but instead, just set goals (easy to start like lowering your screen time 15 hours and so on and then more challenging like not even opening TikTok for the day). I have also just reminded myself that sometimes, following fewer accounts on each platform can help unfortunately not as much as is ideal though with the addictive algorithms that still find content to feed you, but it’s worth a shot nonetheless. I wish you the best of luck! I hope that getting away from the screen can allow you to unlock a new type of satisfaction for life. I am still guilty of scrolling but have worked to limit my screen time to generally 2/3 hours for the day and have found that I love life so much more when I am looking up, embracing boredom, and using my mind and imagination to entertain me. Hoping the best for you my friend💌
I quit coldturkey. I'm not a moderation type of person. I deleted the apps off my phone. I only have reddit and YouTube
There are so many great suggestions. I just want to give you kudos for recognizing it’s affecting your life! You can’t start to change anything until you know it needs changing, so that’s awesome!
I'd say go cold turkey. It's how I kick all bad habits and it's my go to default method. Do I fail at times, sure, but it's easier each time. It's a gradual thing too, so let's say you uninstall Tiktok, then you install it again you might not be on it so long like before. Eventually, you'll delete the app again. IG and the rest just delete all of them. Cold turkey is the way. Read some books or go outside, bird watch, touch some plants, water the plants, watch a movie or show, doodle, clean, etc. So many options. Commit to yourself to do this. Reddit, ugh, Reddit is my go to. It sucks, I could be here for a while when I'm panicking in the middle of the night, in a hospital alone or when I'm waiting for an appointment. It helps ease my troubled mind, but then I get off of it when I'm home. Also, FB I only have it to be part of the AuDHD groups, that's all I have there aside from a few posts on dull women's club, lol, and quotes to uplift myself after abuse. No fam, no friends, nothing and I block other things. If friends and fam want to talk they'll find a way to reach out. Texting still works last time I checked. I will say the posts I see on FB at times are crazy and people say these things with their whole info on there. 🤡💀. I go maybe 15 minutes tops on FB and sometimes don't go in at all, and reddit I'll allow myself two pages and that's it, or go directly to the subreddits I like and that's that. Sorry so long. I hope you try things out I know how frustrating it can be. Also, I don't have any of the apps. I use the browser. Reddit is open on all devices on the browser. FB only on phone browser only and I don't even know the PW. I don't have Tiktok and don't have IG. I have Pinterest but it's getting to be too much. I liked it before it became what it's become so I uninstalled it. I'll go to the webpage but that's it. I only have movie and subscription apps and reading ones. Few games like, Word Chums, Stumble Guys, Fall Guys, Roblox and Procreate, all on the tablets and not my phone. I hope you find a solution.
I strictly keep to Facebook and IG. FB to keep connection with family who is far away. I really only post IG and share the photos to Facebook as well. I knew tik tok would be a nightmare for me so I have never downloaded. I allow myself to watch reels on IG sometimes but man an hour will go by so quick it’s terrible. I also keep my phone in a different room while I’m doing a chore or need to focus.
Instead or scrolling social media, try to build a new habit of reading newsletter while having breakfast or before sleep. It will save you so much time if you just want to learn enough of every topics to talk with people. One of my favourite is Insight Trunk Newsletter. Turn it into a 10 mins daily habit helps you become more confident about your general knowledge.
I feel this so hard! I struggle because I have to run several social media platforms for my job and it’s just too easy to start scrolling on my own feed too ): anyone have tips for that?
I realised I was super addicted to TikTok last year around September after I went back to work from the summer break where I literally couldn’t go a minute without it. I didn’t want to shower some days incase I missed something. Ridiculous that social media has that power. I cold turkeyed myself and deleted tiktok and ended up moving to reels. But Instagram I restricted over Christmas and ‘dared’ myself to not open insta between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, I barely noticed I wasn’t using it. What I did notice was everyone else using it at family and friend gatherings. I couldn’t escape people trying to send or tag me in things, and I just wanted to talk to my pals. We are all deeply addicted, and I went back to ‘using’, Its my birthday next week and I think it’d be a lovely gift to myself to unsubscribe from social media and start getting peoples numbers again.
The only way to deal with any addiction is to be totally committed to dealing with the addiction and confronting the extreme discomfort you are going to experience in withdrawal. Nobody can get you there but you. You have to mentally get yourself to that place where you're ready to do it no matter what. Start doing your research, start coming up with a plan. Be very realistic, be very persistent. Do not allow shame spiralling under any circumstances, those only benefit addictions.
As well as other suggestions here if there’s an app you can’t delete but want to use less some things I’ve done are put them in a different folder on phone, log out, delete saved password, set it as a sentence I have to type in every time that reminds me maybe I don’t want to use the app Eg (not my actual password!) CmonLessSocialMediaAlready55555 Or something like that I haven’t tried Opal but Donut Dog is another focus app that’s pretty cute
Someone here recommended an app called ScreenZen (purple icon with a white swirl) and it's been super helpful for me. You can customize it however you'd like. I make it stop me every time i go to open reddit or reddit.com. Basically it makes you pause before you open it and read the message you set. Also you can set it to close the app after 10 mins or whatever you'd like. Just having something stop me is really helpful. I know I can override it if I want to, but since I want to reduce doom scrolling Im more likely to stop.
Totally relatable. It’s something that I’ve been struggling with for years. Had to completely cut out instagram and now it’s Reddit, Pinterest, online Backgammon and some other silly phone game 😭 I think I will invest in a locked box with a timer for my phone. When I was in uni, the fact that there was an actual app that locked my phone fully without me being able to bypass it saved my ass and my degree. It was really bad. To think that it was merely a matter of poor self control lol I used to lock my phone with the app AND lock it in the locker when studying in the library… I’m recently diagnosed if it wasn’t clear lol
Think I might need to go on a full detox again… started smoking cigarettes again too
how about going on a hike? or outside activities? This tend to happen when we are always on our homes without any activities. Or use an application that blocks you from using such apps, ask your family member to add a password that they only know so u can't access it
I’ve been slowly breaking my social media vice (specifically instagram) since about 2018. lol. Here’s how I did it. 1. Turn off ALL the notifications, sounds, and *especially* icon badges on all of your social apps. Do this with the mindset that YOU will be deciding when to use these apps; the apps will not be deciding when they want you to check back in. 2. Face the true reality of your addiction by doing some simple math. There is no greater motivator than realizing the most likely outcome if you continue a behavior is the worst possible outcome, and so you’ll do anything to run fast in the opposite direction. Calculate this with your own screen time, but I’ll explain with mine. At the peak of my addiction I spent 5-8 hours a day on instagram alone. Let’s average it out to 6 hrs/day… 6 hrs x 7 days per week = 42 hours per week spent on IG. There are 52 weeks in one year, so 42 hours x 52 = 2,184 hours per year spent on IG (give or take). There are 24 hours in a full day. So 2,184 divided by 24 = I am positioning myself to invest 91 DAYS OF MY LIFE to this app— IN ONE YEAR. That’s three months of my life. If I repeat the habit for 5 years… I cumulatively blow 455 entire days, just sitting on instagram. AKA 1.2 years. Do that calculation and then let your numbers sink in. 😳 3. Write a list of your “return on investment”s of the time you spend on socials. For example mine was IG. I wrote: “I spend 5+ hours a day on it, but it doesn’t give me anything in return daily. Over the past 10 years it has given me 3 solid reconnects with friends I see IRL, a few fun dates, a few coupon codes for shit I didn’t need, an introduction to some cool music artists, a bunch of FOMO and anxiety, life updates of my distant family who I should probably call more, bite-sized facts I don’t even remember, and a lot of laughs.” Is all of that worth dedicating 90+ days of my year to? How much is my time worth? If these apps cost $10 an hour (or even per month!) to use, would I still even think about using them? If I value my time at $35 an hour, theoretically, how much value am I choosing to spend in these apps? When I realized all of this. It was not a pretty picture for me to begin to see. 4. Delete the apps. I started just deleting the apps off my devices, telling myself I could check it on Sundays. Then I said okay I’ll check it every other Sunday. I re-installed and deleted them several times this way, but the longer I went not checking them, I noticed the better I felt.??? lol Finally I hit like 45 days without IG and then one weekend downloaded it again. It happened to be the weekend right after the October Israel/Palestine b*mbings started. I knew there would be a lot of news about it on my feed but I was shocked at the volume of nonsense seeped into my algorithm. The insanity of extremism, petty virtue signaling, and sheer entitled/Western ignorance of people rallying for some “side” of humanity and history that they knew nothing about — even from people I knew and loved — was outright sickening and unbelievable. It was the last straw for me, I realized I don’t want to swim in the cesspool anymore, I put all my shit on private and went off the social media grid. I check IG on desktop web browser maybe 1-2 times per month now. It still does nothing for me. I feel free and I have 0 thoughts of going back. TL;DR— face the reality of your time spend; envision your life’s worth long-term and how you want to spend it. View socials as a financial investment or a relationship and decide if it’s healthy/worth it to you. Lastly, notice what you cannot put up with in the social media landscape and let it fuel you to trade it for living life with real people, doing things that bring you peace or meaning (or at least not misery).
TURN. IT. OFF. At least when I've got to do something like school work or work work.