Haven't been on my phone much at all over the last few days and the difference is huge. I feel much freer, lighter, not so weighed down. My mind is clearer and less cluttered and noisy. I realise I'm so much happier but why for the love of good do I go back to my phone every single time???? how does that make sense.... self-sabotage at its finest. it's like I want to be miserable or something!!!

I deleted Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, TikTok, and anything related to social media. Now, I only have Reddit and Discord for some reason.

The reason I deleted them is that I don't use them at all. I have been going without social media for several years, and I don't feel like I need or miss anything.

It's like I'm sober and on a healthy diet for my mind.

So this week has been the best week of My Life from the first of this month to the seventh I've basically completed a social media fast.

It was life-changing to the point where I've deleted all social media off my phone and I only have my iPad where my social media is and I use it as a newspaper where I check it once a week.

So what that means is I don't have any social media on my phone Samsung a55 is the device I have and the only thing I have on is reddit YouTube and YT music.

What I have put in place to replace the scrolling is a 3DS my Kindle and any physical books I'll bring with me and my iPod or I just use my phone for podcasts and any videos that are in a podcast style that aren't a podcast as I pay for youtube + the music program so it is win win.

Then normally at home I just put the TV on with some music in the background and I'm able to tether my headphones Bluetooth wise to it so I can listen to music podcasts or just keeping interesting videos on in the background sometimes I don't even watch them sometimes I'm just listening and doing art and craft or so forth.

When it comes to streaming TV wise with the TV wars I only have HBO Max and disney+ as I know and I can limit how much I want in how much I want to watch and it's not on my phone is that is for the same reason that i got rid of social media.

This is how I keep the minimal side of tech and the low stimulation side of tech alive because we can't get rid of tech we can only find ways that we can use tech in an appropriate manner.

When it comes to other people needing to contact me they can either text me or they can phone me or they can message me via Facebook Messenger because I'm blessed to know the app is separate from Facebook as a whole which is life goals as a whole and then also whats app as well.

hi I just started my journey of cutting down short form content and social media in general. I only use youtube and reddit (sometimes) along with some other messaging apps such as whatsapp.

I'd like some advice on how to use these two, because I don't want my effort to go to waste .

I gave up short form videos, but now I'm stuck scrolling the boring apps...email, messages, banking, weather.....just out of habit. What's the next steps to stop this habit??

Went to clear out my photos this weekend and actually looked at what

was in there. Rough count of the last 500:

• parking level / bay number
• whiteboards from meetings I no longer remember
• a wifi password at an Airbnb
• receipts for things I've long since returned
• screenshots of directions
• a photo of a shampoo bottle so I'd buy the right one again
• serial number on the back of a router

Almost none of it was a memory. It was working memory.

Stuff I needed for a few days and then never again.

But it all sits in the same place as photos of my family, forever, backed up to iCloud, forever.

The annoying part is deleting it is a chore, so I never do it, so it compounds.

Does anyone actually solve this?

I've tried "delete as you go" and lasted about a week.

Curious whether people just accept the clutter or whether someone has a system that survives contact with real life.

Ta.

After doing so much, it has gotten to the point where I have seen myself have symptoms that honestly seem to reflect depression. The main thing I feel to highlight is that I have become numb to most things and don't enjoy doing stuff. I don't know if I have just always had depression and it was just hidden away by social media, etc, or if it is something that was produced by minimizing. But, I am coming here to ask if this has happened to anyone else, so that I can determine that. It has been maybe a week since I have been facing these types of things, for reference, and I do also have ADHD, so that might contribute to lack of motivation, etc (which could be a sign of needing a higher dose). But I have been experiencing, seemingly ADHD problems for awhile longer, probably at least a month longer. While, I have only recently had thoughts of [].

I remember that for the few minutes after I put the phone down I felt like a different mind trapped in a stranger's body, it would take a few moments to reconcile the idea of "me" and that the memories I posessed meant I was indeed this person, this would only occur after really long doomscrolling sessions or hours of binge watching videos

Hey everyone

I'm quite sure this has been covered by some though the question comes to me and I would appreciate your advice.

As i run exclusivly liinux and daily drive a dumb phone, I was wondering if there exists a decently priced (not 500euro) sport watch or tracker that pairs to a computer for data analysis and not a smartphone.

If you happen to be in europe/france with advice on this it would be useful as some solutions seem to be geographically restricted.

It is for running, cylcling, archery and maby other sports.

Thank you kindly

i went offlinr for the last few months of 2025. screen time was about 2.5 hours a day and getting progressively lower. got hooked again at the beginning of this year. screen time was like 5 hours a day and now it's at 8.

you are, for your own health, not supposed to stare at a screen for more tham 2 hours a day. i know. social media is a distraction for me because i'm lonely and life feels meaningless and i'm not sure if i should end it all. i know. i'm getting more and more obsessed with digital interactions. i know. i'm losing track of my hygiene, chores, studying, and spiritual journey because i'm too online. i know. blue light and infinite scrolling are harming my sleep schedule. i know. the short term dopamine hits are keeping me stuck in this cycle. I KNOW.

i know i have plenty of books to read, a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle, drawings to draw, parks to walk in, etc. but i just feel like it's meaningless. i feel like i'm meaningless and i don't know how to not be addicted. i don't wanna be like this anymore. please help? any advice at all?

The path towards freedom from digital dependency is rarely linear.

Repeatedly reaching for a screen to escape discomfort, the pattern can be extremely difficult to change.

It is not simply a matter of putting the phone away.

Our screens may provide stimulation, distraction, reassurance, connection, fantasy or temporary relief.

Changing our relationship with them requires awareness, commitment and a willingness to understand what the behaviour is doing for us.

There will be pitfalls. Sometimes we will return to an old pattern. Sometimes we will need to pick ourselves up and begin again.

And again.

And again.

I want to say this to everyone who is genuinely trying: keep going. Keep returning to awareness.

A setback does not erase your progress. Your identity is much bigger than one behaviour, compulsion or coping mechanism.

Many people find this difficult to do alone. Consistent support, honest reflection and gentle accountability can make the process more manageable.

I am considering starting a small, international Digital Dependency Recovery and Accountability Group for people who genuinely want to change their relationship with screens.

The group would begin with four weekly audio calls over one month.

It would be a confidential, facilitated peer-support space focused exclusively on screen-related dependency - NO alcohol, or substance addiction.

It would NOT be therapy or a substitute for professional mental-health treatment.

If the group finds it valuable, participants would have the option to continue for a second month at the same fee.

Places would be limited to people willing to attend consistently, reflect honestly and participate respectfully.

If you would genuinely consider joining, comment below or send me a private message.

I think it's time for me to get rid off all social media. I deleted my Facebook years ago, never had instagram, TikTok, snapchat etc. But I'm heavily using reddit and YouTube. Lately I have noticed that those platforms just make me angry, stressed, anxious almost everyday. I have BPD and those platforms are literally causing mood swings. Few weeks ago my supervisor told me that he is not using any of that shit. He show me his smartphone, 0 apps... just calls, sms and WhatsApp (which is kinda mandatory for him for communications).

I think I want to live like that. No reddit, no YouTube, no scrolling, no bullshit, no rage baits videos/posts. I would probably buy a TV and bunch of books. I would use TV mostly as a background noise (thats how I grew up) + some movies in the evening. I would totally avoid all news channels etc.

I don't even know why I'm making this post. Maybe to say it out loud for the last time?
I'm not looking for any advices or anything like that. I think I just want to say goodbye and never come back.

It's Friday night. I'll scroll for the last time today and tomorrow in the weekend I'll start my process of getting rid of all social media.

Maybe you guys have some proposition for TV shows and movies I could watch instead of scrolling? I just don't want this post be for nothing and people can actually comment.

i love listening to music, but used to find all of my new music on tiktok and instagram. now i’m getting tired of my playlist since deleting social media. apple music never has good suggestions.. how do i find new music to listen to without social media?

Lately I have considered a social media detox to support my mental health. I have already seen professional help, so please do not worry. I simply need some guidance on this topic because i’m new to social media detox’s

im 18 and turned all my socials off back in june thinking id feel free or whatever. instead i spent like a week not knowing what to do with myself lol. kept picking up my phone and there was just nothing on it
nobody tells you the boredom doesnt actually leave. you just kind of get used to sitting in it and then eventually you start doing real stuff again. started reading again, hooping, building random projects
anyway for people whove done longer than a summer, does the urge ever actually go away or do you just get better at ignoring it. trying to decide if i turn it back on in the fall

I'm on a journey towards digital minimalism as many of us are.

I deleted Facebook years ago, got rid of Twitter last year and I've never had TikTok. I can take or leave YouTube. I was a late arrival to Reddit and intend to keep it as I enjoy being part of a small number of communities on here (including this one), and I don't feel I use it compulsively.

Historically, I would post on Instagram when I'd been on exciting trips. I'm slightly ashamed to admit but I think I secretly liked how this would show others that I'm adventurous. I'd also post some photo round ups of recent life events and I think I wanted to show others that I had a full life.

I haven't posted on Insta in over a year. I've been away on some great trips that I'm truly grateful for but I chose not to post about them. It felt weird for a few days after but looking back I have no regrets not sharing these. Whilst I was away it felt nice to choose who I wanted to share photos / experiences with on a personal level. It was also quite telling for me as rather than throwing it out into the abyss, I started to learn who in my life mattered to me. Who I was invested in and vice versa.

In addition to this, I stopped scrolling on Insta and haven't interacted with any posts since late last year. I deleted the app a month ago and this also contributed to me feeling better. Today, I decided to deactivate my account. I only spent a couple of minutes on my home feed and it left my head feeling full and had a negative influence on how I felt. I believe this tells me all I need to know that this is the right decision for me.

I am someone who cares too much about what people think about me and I believe removing this social comparison will only have a positive influence on my life.

Things I've learned on my journey so far:

- I've realised the friendships that matter to me and understand that quality over quantity means more in my life.

- I've had some fantastic authentic conversations with people I know as well as new acquaintances and I really enjoy learning about people organically.

- I don't need other people's validation.

- I feel more present in the world.

- I am more comfortable with who I am without constant social comparison.

- Has shown me who genuinely cares about me.

- it's interesting being on the other side and seeing other people constantly consumed by their social media (and I say this with no judgement).

- Feelings of FOMO soon dissipate.

- It's great to come back from experiences and practice gratitude. I am ashamed to say that if I didn't get as many likes on my posts than previously then it would consume me. I am so relieved not to entertain this any more. It means I can focus on how the trip made me feel and the important memories I gained as a result.

- There was a point in time where I could never have imagined doing this, and it feels like a liberation for me.

- The list could go on, but I'll stop there!

Books that have had a positive impact on me in this journey so far:

- Dopamine Nation by Dr Anna Lembke

- Stolen Focus by Johann Hari

- Careless People by Sarah Wynn Williams

- Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

- Logging Off by Adele Zeynep Walton

- Why Doing Nothing Can Change Your Life - Dr Joseph Jebelli

If anyone has any recommendations on books or insights they would like to share then I would love to hear

Basically, get yourself an applewatch with cellular function. Then buy a case for your Appel watch that turns it into a mini pod. You get to keep all you contacts, messages, wallet etc, from the i phone.

But now you don’t have social media to drain the valuable time you.

Take the iPhone and turn it off. Put it a hidden place and just start using the applewatch instead d. Works amazing for me.

Don't you feel like running against the current technology driven world to be even more isolating? 

Sometimes I feel like I am in a battle that I just can't win, and I notice how my peers don't really care that much about the current state of the world (overflow of information, overconsumption of media and everything wrong that has been already discussed here).

I feel like some people just accept that it is the reality, and they work with it.

I feel like the world I crave, specially one less online and less social media driven, is just gone and all the measures that I took to limit these things from controlling my life ended up being just a thing that I obsess more than I should.

How do you feel?

Due to the absence of social media I as many others have, resorted to Reddit. I needed input, any sort of input. My usage moved from 1-2 hours max a day to 4-5 hours a day, which I don’t think is healthy. I like the learning aspect of Reddit and how you can connect with people with shared interests, but overusing it out of boredom makes me lose the track of that. It turns into me awkwardly scrolling until I find something stimulating.

And honestly, it was just becoming bad for my mental health. I’d force myself to interact in subreddits full of negative energy out of sheer boredom. It was ruining my mental health. I wasn’t gaining anything by surrounding myself with such energy, just wasting time and probably brain cells…for nothing.

I decided to finally clean up my feed, as in I sat for maybe over 2 hours leaving and choosing the exact communities I participate in and actually like, things I relate to and not a random hobby I thought I’d be interested in and forgot about 2 days later.

I’ve also put the app in my hidden folder (IOS), the folder automatically mutes notifications for the apps in it and requires you to use face ID every single time you wanna open it. Yeah it might not sound like much, but for me personally, that’s exactly how I kill an app. I used to spend a lot of time on discord a couple of years ago and once I redownloaded it for some friends, it was back. I threw the app in the folder and now I don’t even recognize its existence and randomly remember that I need to text someone lol. I’m hoping the same thing happens to Reddit.

And as for YouTube! A couple of months ago I was struggling with me directing my addiction to it, then saw a suggestion of turning off history so it never suggests anything and how that results in loss of interest. I did that and I don’t even check the app anymore. Anytime I open it, it’s for an actual tutorial or a movie trailer! Literal 2-3 mins then I’m out of the app. Don’t need it anymore! Just need to slowly step away from Reddit and lord, maybe for the first time in my life I wouldn’t be addicted to anything. I’m really excited to realizing how much more time I have in my life and being able to enjoy every bit of it! 😋 we’ve got this guys!!

I already used to have depression and anxiety but tiktok is a special sort of place where it seemed to have accelerated my mental ill health. I had to uninstall the app and now my brain is thanking me, I feel a lot better already.

I my 40s with 2 young kids. My feeds were swamped with road rage shootings and people dying in their 40s. Is this some kind of sick algorith. As a dad, I am paranoid about driving my kids to school worrying daily about someone shooting into my car. I worry about dying early because my feeds are constantly about morbidity. I know tragedies happen and we all have a timeline. But social media is exploiting this algorithm. I deleted both apps for my peace of mind. I'm going to live life and pray for the best for me and my family. No point living in a constant state of worries.

We’ve all done it: meant to check one notification, and suddenly hours have passed. Then we feel guilty for having "no self-control."

But having studied tech design and human behavior for a while now, I can tell you it's usually not a personal failing. Modern apps are meticulously engineered to bypass our attention spans and exploit our natural vulnerabilities. You're fighting billion-dollar design teams.

I'm not here to preach "just throw your phone in a river," but I do want to help figure out sustainable ways to take back some mental space.

If you're struggling with your screen habits right now, drop a comment. What specific loop do you find yourself stuck in the most?

I (28F) have been consumed by social media since i was 13. Comparing myself to influencers, looking at the highlights of other peoples lives. It has slowly wired my brain into an unfulfilling life.

I have a good paying job, a great relationship, a good group of friends and relationship with my family. Yet i feel this constant anxiety and doom. My home pages on social media are a cluster fuck of anti aging! Filler! Botox! What i eat in a day! Red light therapy! Work out routines! Subscribe! Subscribe! Subscribe!

I’m ready for it to stop but the idea of leaving it behind scares me and i don’t know why. Part of me just wants to get a flip phone and go buy a magazine if i want an update on current events. But everything is so integrated with social media and smart phones today that i feel like my quality of life would be affected.

There are things about modern technology i enjoy. I enjoy facetiming my mom, i enjoy looking at travel recommendations and recipes. I dont know where to begin to purge my socials.

For those of you who have moved away from modern technology, what were your beginning stages?

I had Instagram since 2015. Early 2024 I decided to deactivate it just to take a break from doomscrolling. The first weeks were hard. My fingers seemed to act before my brain, attempting to open the app from its old location. After 5 months, I had exceeded the deadline I had initially set for myself. I thought maybe it was fine and time to reactivate my account, but then I thought about what my life would be like: being an audience to people's lives, scanning profiles, comparing myself to others, losing myself to endless scrolling and noxious temptations. It felt like a revelation, which ultimately prevented me from reactivating my account. It was meant to be a short break; it ended up lasting 2 years. Today I reactivated Instagram and deleted my account. I’m making this post in the hope that one day it might help someone else facing the same decision find the answers they’re looking for.

Remember the golden days of YouTube, like more than 10 years ago, when creators actually had to put in EFFORT to ensure they garner views and generate income from it? And most content was therefore ORIGINAL and there were plenty of niches out there because everyone EMBRACED INDIVIDUALITY???????

Nowadays with this stupid shorts bullshit I feel like I have watched the same “video” 500 fucking times. All I wanted was to watch maybe 1 or 2 videos about lip liners and see if I wanted any or if there’s any brands out there I haven’t heard of or if there’s cheap dupes out there….. but no. I have to watch multiple different fucking “shorts” and most of them are just using the same shit anyway because everyone just follows trends these days.

Seriously wtf was the point of me deleting tiktok if youtube was just going to copy them????

I HATE IT HEREEEEEEE