deleting it feels so freeing & finally pushes you to look away from these glowing glass screens & take in the real world!!! putting my phone on grayscale also helped me so much as i had to look around me for color & life and wasn’t able to get that same hit of dopamine from my phone 🫶
Grayscale is such a good idea. It’s only when you take a step back that you realise it’s all designed to keep you clicking and scrolling (pretty obvious, especially for someone who works in advertising - but still!) thanks so much for reading!
I’ve taken a social media sabbatical every summer since 2018 and am currently on my yearly hiatus now + WOW. I honestly feel no need to return. I feel free! I’ve doubled my books read!
But the idea that you need it to build a business or have that elusive “built in audience” that publishers want nags at me… I know it’s possible to build things a new, more sustainable way + am on that journey, but also! I’m tired.
This post reinspired me to give this some serious thought. It seems more and more people are looking for a new (vintage?) way of building communities / businesses / readers / creative outlets, and I love that journey for us. 🫶🏼
Loved reading your comment Kayli, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. Wowza - that is some sabbatical ritual and I kind of love that idea. It is crazy that it's become almost an essential part of life (I didn't even talk about LinkedIn but that as a platform in particular is basically the only way to get a job at this point). So glad you're on this journey too and it's going to be interesting to see how things shift going forward - there seems to be a lot of us feeling this way, so something has to give...right?!
It was honestly so refreshing! I’m back on Instagram now as I navigate promoting my work / social media, but have a much more detached way of being with it.
All of this! Social media is 10% good and 90% trash. I enjoy the 10% by only having access to IG for a very limited time. I have an IPhone which has the screen time lock feature for social. I asked my husband to type in a secret code he only knows which locks me out of my social media after I’ve used up my screen time minutes. It’s perfect. I get a lil dose of connecting with friends, a few culture moments and then I am out! I also take 30 straight days off every quarter which helps.
That’s such a great way to do it. Like I said in my post, I think there’s a lot of people saying ‘it’s bad, quit!’ but you can dip in and out when you want to once you find the right thing to work for you, rather than just going cold turkey. Love this - thanks for reading
Loved this! As a fellow 25 year old that also decided to quit social media this really spoke to me. I first deleted them temporarily until I turned 25, but after my birthday I couldn’t bring myself to install them again. I’ve felt so free since not having instagram is insane. No more comparison, no more getting involved in any type of drama and no more keeping up with celebrities lives. now I’m just Pinterest, Kindle, Substack and vibes lol. So happy to see that I’m not alone hahaha 🩷🩷💕💕
aww Mel, you’ve literally made my day with your comment! Live for the vibes you want, not the ones someone else is selling you! And don’t compare, just be yourself for sure ✨ thanks so much for reading and commenting - it means the world!
I related to this so much- I’m 23 and have always had a at-arm’s-length relationship with most socials except Instagram. didn’t get on Facebook til I was 19/20 for family only, rid myself of toxic twitter at 17, and TikTok really only did it for me during 2020. but releasing Instagram this past month has felt so refreshing, it’s felt different for me entirely. I still miss my influencers, the ones who I followed since their start and feel like I owe them my attention, but everything about the excitement of it all is fading, I’m finding a new emotional regulation, I can read and write and create instead of consume, all while feeling fully authentic and not spoon fed what to feel or say or do. I have passions that are MINE, and not what a 24hour story says I need to be passionate about. It’s been so freeing. I’m so glad you wrote about this, and I hope others can experience this light and liberating experience as well 🫶🏼
Loved this read! I quit social media for a while pre-covid because it was getting crazy. I came back a couple years later with a new account and now have a much healthier relationship with it after a period of seeing what life is like on the other side. Think that’s the thing, i freaking love the internet and love internet humor but there is a vvveerryyy thin line between enjoying it and being absolutely consumed by it
Thanks Danny, and that’s so interesting, I totally agree - I think there’s quite a black and white view of it sometimes. You love it or you hate it, you have it or you don’t, you’re on it all the time or never. It’s okay to dip in and out and tailor it to you because you’re the one using it!
This resonated with me so much ! I work in fashion PR so social media and all things influencer is a huge part of my life. But I’m also 36 and a mom who recently relocated to another country so I have a love hate relationship with platform ! I want to keep up to date with friends and family and I have to keep up to date with culture and trends etc but honestly you idea of having an account for work might be a good option for me. Thank god for this platform .. my hope is that I can migrate here permanently 🤣
Thank you so much for reading! It's so interesting to hear other people's experience - same but different in their own way. I think there are definitely ways to get around the bad side of it by basically just taking as much control over your socials as poss, and figuring out how to make it work for you!
I really enjoyed reading your post and it resonates with me and my relationship with Instagram and TikTok. I haven’t deleted those but trying to reduce my screen time and make room for reading or other activities than being hooked to my phone endlessly scrolling.
I've been doom scrolling now for weeks, and it has certainly started to have an effect on me mentally. So, this post came in like a breath of fresh air. Thank you! 🤍
Whilst I feel I would struggle to delete my accounts fully (here, and Instagram/TikTok are the places I promote my books), I do see the need for me to be more mindful and intentional about what I'm consuming, and how often!
Just yesterday I went down a comparison rabbit hole on TikTok because a creator I admired posted something that made me instantly feel that my writing and creativity wasn't good enough. Now I know that wasn't the aim of their post at all, and it was down to my own relationship with comparison and my insecurities, but it just left me feel down and icky for the rest of the day!
I've already unfollowed a lot of people because I no longer resonate with what they post, but still, as you mentioned, the algorithms constantly push things in your face that you didn't even ask for!
I feel much calmer when I spend time on Substack, and equally Pinterest for that matter. There's something about both that I find so inspiring and motivating, without being bombarded by things I don't enjoy or don't connect with.
Perhaps I'll delete it one day, but for now I've been inspired to soften my grip on the beast.
Don't get me wrong but, sometimes I feel that this whole social media exodus (how I like too call it) has become less about mental health and more about ego boost - "I'm better than you because I don't use social media" is kinda the new flex.
Which, ironically is the same old attention-seeking behavior that we see on social media.
Thanks for reading and commenting Raul - I get what you mean, and it’s interesting to hear your pov. I guess it depends on your intentions. I’ve quit social media (as in deleted the apps unless I hop back on Instagram using my Safari like a caveman) because it has genuinely cut my screen time down and helped me feel mentally better. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t write this to brag - it was to explore all the ups and downs that go with it in a cathartic sense for me, and a hopefully helpful sense for other people who might relate to all of the negative stuff that really can bring you down. Superficially it’s great to say ‘yeah I’ve quit, look at me, I’m living my best life’ but not connecting with my friends in the same way, lacking inspiration because I’ve gone cold turkey, etc. are really anti-social, which makes swinging the other way as equally challenging as having an addiction. I think what makes me an interesting case study is that I’ve not just quit and then not said anything because I’m not on social media anymore. I’ve used a different platform to discuss it (one that’s one of my few allowed channels because it’s more for my creativity than endless scrolling!) because, like I said, I want it to hopefully help other people who might be struggling with it AND, to be honest, hold myself accountable. I’ve gone back on a few times (something I talked about it my recent post!) and every time I do it’s great for a bit, and then it just isn’t. So having this piece helps remind me why I’m doing it - for me, my sanity and my screen time! No ones saying ‘oh you’re back on’ or ‘oh you’ve quit wow’ (literally I don’t think there’s been any congratulations except to myself!) because no one gives a shit about my OWN experience. It’s how what I’ve found might inspire them, make them disagree, or just give them a new pov. Thanks for reading!
I really didn’t want to say that that was your intention though, I am actually fan of the whole social media exodus, and rooting for the end of everything that social media built when it regards mental health issues!
No worries at all Raul! It’s so great to see different opinions, and I so appreciate you commenting - what you said is really interesting, and definitely sparks a good debate around performance vs authenticity in why we choose to do the things we do in a very performative world. Thanks again for commenting
Deletes apps - feels good. Reinstalls apps - feels bad. Deletes apps. Best move ever.
Haha it’s a funny funny thing!
literally me all Q3-4 😂
All the time 😂😂
deleting it feels so freeing & finally pushes you to look away from these glowing glass screens & take in the real world!!! putting my phone on grayscale also helped me so much as i had to look around me for color & life and wasn’t able to get that same hit of dopamine from my phone 🫶
Grayscale is such a good idea. It’s only when you take a step back that you realise it’s all designed to keep you clicking and scrolling (pretty obvious, especially for someone who works in advertising - but still!) thanks so much for reading!
This is genius ⚡️
I’ve taken a social media sabbatical every summer since 2018 and am currently on my yearly hiatus now + WOW. I honestly feel no need to return. I feel free! I’ve doubled my books read!
But the idea that you need it to build a business or have that elusive “built in audience” that publishers want nags at me… I know it’s possible to build things a new, more sustainable way + am on that journey, but also! I’m tired.
This post reinspired me to give this some serious thought. It seems more and more people are looking for a new (vintage?) way of building communities / businesses / readers / creative outlets, and I love that journey for us. 🫶🏼
Loved reading your comment Kayli, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. Wowza - that is some sabbatical ritual and I kind of love that idea. It is crazy that it's become almost an essential part of life (I didn't even talk about LinkedIn but that as a platform in particular is basically the only way to get a job at this point). So glad you're on this journey too and it's going to be interesting to see how things shift going forward - there seems to be a lot of us feeling this way, so something has to give...right?!
I love the concept of a social media sabbatical!
It was honestly so refreshing! I’m back on Instagram now as I navigate promoting my work / social media, but have a much more detached way of being with it.
All of this! Social media is 10% good and 90% trash. I enjoy the 10% by only having access to IG for a very limited time. I have an IPhone which has the screen time lock feature for social. I asked my husband to type in a secret code he only knows which locks me out of my social media after I’ve used up my screen time minutes. It’s perfect. I get a lil dose of connecting with friends, a few culture moments and then I am out! I also take 30 straight days off every quarter which helps.
That’s such a great way to do it. Like I said in my post, I think there’s a lot of people saying ‘it’s bad, quit!’ but you can dip in and out when you want to once you find the right thing to work for you, rather than just going cold turkey. Love this - thanks for reading
Loved this! As a fellow 25 year old that also decided to quit social media this really spoke to me. I first deleted them temporarily until I turned 25, but after my birthday I couldn’t bring myself to install them again. I’ve felt so free since not having instagram is insane. No more comparison, no more getting involved in any type of drama and no more keeping up with celebrities lives. now I’m just Pinterest, Kindle, Substack and vibes lol. So happy to see that I’m not alone hahaha 🩷🩷💕💕
aww Mel, you’ve literally made my day with your comment! Live for the vibes you want, not the ones someone else is selling you! And don’t compare, just be yourself for sure ✨ thanks so much for reading and commenting - it means the world!
Real on the “but way more wholesome and way less racist”
I stopped getting on both, and it’s been so freeing!! 🕊️
I related to this so much- I’m 23 and have always had a at-arm’s-length relationship with most socials except Instagram. didn’t get on Facebook til I was 19/20 for family only, rid myself of toxic twitter at 17, and TikTok really only did it for me during 2020. but releasing Instagram this past month has felt so refreshing, it’s felt different for me entirely. I still miss my influencers, the ones who I followed since their start and feel like I owe them my attention, but everything about the excitement of it all is fading, I’m finding a new emotional regulation, I can read and write and create instead of consume, all while feeling fully authentic and not spoon fed what to feel or say or do. I have passions that are MINE, and not what a 24hour story says I need to be passionate about. It’s been so freeing. I’m so glad you wrote about this, and I hope others can experience this light and liberating experience as well 🫶🏼
Loved reading this comment and so glad you can relate so much!
Loved this read! I quit social media for a while pre-covid because it was getting crazy. I came back a couple years later with a new account and now have a much healthier relationship with it after a period of seeing what life is like on the other side. Think that’s the thing, i freaking love the internet and love internet humor but there is a vvveerryyy thin line between enjoying it and being absolutely consumed by it
Thanks Danny, and that’s so interesting, I totally agree - I think there’s quite a black and white view of it sometimes. You love it or you hate it, you have it or you don’t, you’re on it all the time or never. It’s okay to dip in and out and tailor it to you because you’re the one using it!
Me too
This resonated with me so much ! I work in fashion PR so social media and all things influencer is a huge part of my life. But I’m also 36 and a mom who recently relocated to another country so I have a love hate relationship with platform ! I want to keep up to date with friends and family and I have to keep up to date with culture and trends etc but honestly you idea of having an account for work might be a good option for me. Thank god for this platform .. my hope is that I can migrate here permanently 🤣
Thank you so much for reading! It's so interesting to hear other people's experience - same but different in their own way. I think there are definitely ways to get around the bad side of it by basically just taking as much control over your socials as poss, and figuring out how to make it work for you!
I really enjoyed reading your post and it resonates with me and my relationship with Instagram and TikTok. I haven’t deleted those but trying to reduce my screen time and make room for reading or other activities than being hooked to my phone endlessly scrolling.
Thanks so much for reading Giselle - I’m so glad it spoke to you
Every time I delete Instagram I’m surprised by how little I miss it! I go on it on my desktop which is very useful for curbing mindless scrolling.
100% agree with you here. The clunky desktop design is the one for me!
I've been doom scrolling now for weeks, and it has certainly started to have an effect on me mentally. So, this post came in like a breath of fresh air. Thank you! 🤍
Whilst I feel I would struggle to delete my accounts fully (here, and Instagram/TikTok are the places I promote my books), I do see the need for me to be more mindful and intentional about what I'm consuming, and how often!
Just yesterday I went down a comparison rabbit hole on TikTok because a creator I admired posted something that made me instantly feel that my writing and creativity wasn't good enough. Now I know that wasn't the aim of their post at all, and it was down to my own relationship with comparison and my insecurities, but it just left me feel down and icky for the rest of the day!
I've already unfollowed a lot of people because I no longer resonate with what they post, but still, as you mentioned, the algorithms constantly push things in your face that you didn't even ask for!
I feel much calmer when I spend time on Substack, and equally Pinterest for that matter. There's something about both that I find so inspiring and motivating, without being bombarded by things I don't enjoy or don't connect with.
Perhaps I'll delete it one day, but for now I've been inspired to soften my grip on the beast.
I already dont have anything other than tiktok but after reading this i went straight to the delete button
@༄ marionz angelica
I have it saved!!! Can’t wait to read it
Don't get me wrong but, sometimes I feel that this whole social media exodus (how I like too call it) has become less about mental health and more about ego boost - "I'm better than you because I don't use social media" is kinda the new flex.
Which, ironically is the same old attention-seeking behavior that we see on social media.
Thanks for reading and commenting Raul - I get what you mean, and it’s interesting to hear your pov. I guess it depends on your intentions. I’ve quit social media (as in deleted the apps unless I hop back on Instagram using my Safari like a caveman) because it has genuinely cut my screen time down and helped me feel mentally better. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t write this to brag - it was to explore all the ups and downs that go with it in a cathartic sense for me, and a hopefully helpful sense for other people who might relate to all of the negative stuff that really can bring you down. Superficially it’s great to say ‘yeah I’ve quit, look at me, I’m living my best life’ but not connecting with my friends in the same way, lacking inspiration because I’ve gone cold turkey, etc. are really anti-social, which makes swinging the other way as equally challenging as having an addiction. I think what makes me an interesting case study is that I’ve not just quit and then not said anything because I’m not on social media anymore. I’ve used a different platform to discuss it (one that’s one of my few allowed channels because it’s more for my creativity than endless scrolling!) because, like I said, I want it to hopefully help other people who might be struggling with it AND, to be honest, hold myself accountable. I’ve gone back on a few times (something I talked about it my recent post!) and every time I do it’s great for a bit, and then it just isn’t. So having this piece helps remind me why I’m doing it - for me, my sanity and my screen time! No ones saying ‘oh you’re back on’ or ‘oh you’ve quit wow’ (literally I don’t think there’s been any congratulations except to myself!) because no one gives a shit about my OWN experience. It’s how what I’ve found might inspire them, make them disagree, or just give them a new pov. Thanks for reading!
I really didn’t want to say that that was your intention though, I am actually fan of the whole social media exodus, and rooting for the end of everything that social media built when it regards mental health issues!
Loved your text, loved the vibes!
No worries at all Raul! It’s so great to see different opinions, and I so appreciate you commenting - what you said is really interesting, and definitely sparks a good debate around performance vs authenticity in why we choose to do the things we do in a very performative world. Thanks again for commenting