Deactivating social media..

[Spectacles]

This is exactly how I feel but haven’t been able to find the words. I find myself mindlessly scrolling which has a detrimental impact on my mental health and I feel so much better when I’m not scrolling yet I can’t seem to let it go. When I am scrolling I find it boring, I don’t care about anyone’s baby updates or general life updates yet sometimes can spend hours scrolling through rubbish. My screen time is shocking, sometimes I do 35hrs over the week on social media which is more time than I’m at my job. I work 30 hrs a week with a day release for study, so I am doing exams, I’m also a parent and have my own home, I haven’t got the time to be scrolling the way I do. I seen an article today about popcorn brain and it’s me. It’s a vicious cycle I’m keen to break. Is cold turkey best? I’ve only ever done a few days away from social media. I value my privacy so much and I’m chasing the freedom

You could do cold turkey but it is hard. I have screen time limits on some apps when I was using them too much. I'd set them for a reasonable amount of time and have gradually reduced the time over a number of weeks. If you reach the alloted time used, it will grey out the app so you can't use it unless you change your settings. In the past I've scheduled social media hour on my phone so I can look at as much of it in that time. Found that okay at first but couldn't keep up with that.

The thing with instagram is that if you deactivate it and then go back on a few days later, you can't deactivate it again for another week. You can set it to delete and reopen as many times as you want and you have 30 days to log on to keep the account otherwise it deletes it all.

Sometimes when I feel myself reaching for my phone to scroll away, I can stop myself and say why am I doing this? Usually it's because I'm bored or overwhelmed with stuff so it distracts me away from it. I just try to do something else away from my phone but it is tricky sometimes

 

[BuffaloSoldier]

Thank you - I do actually have a short holiday coming up so could feasibly delete it before I go away and try and break the habit that way. I've a lot of good books I want to read so perhaps I'll just divert my attention when I feel the need to scroll.

Completely agree it’s easier when you have something else to occupy you, I know for me I’d rather spend 20 minutes here and there reading rather than scrolling.
I also search various things for my degree to distract me if I’m somewhere that I’ve only got my phone. I also found it easier when I was on holiday and didn’t have good signal. I also started watching something interesting on a night to avoid doom scrolling before bed.

 

[Kim Mild]

I haven't deactivated , but I've recently unfollwed a lot of people. I'm not interested in them , bar the odd few. . I need to go through my groups and leave some.

I want to keep it for my pics and community type pages. I don't use it to interact with actual people.

 

[OhDearFords]

Hello. I want to delete my instagram, or at the very least delete the app from my phone. I've done it a few times but only ever lasted a day or two. How can I prevent myself from reinstalling? Has anyone got any willpower tips - or maybe any other strategies?! I'd be all ears. I sometimes waste HOURS scrolling on insta and it's just such a horrendous waste of time and I don't want to do it any more. But I'm finding it very difficult to stop

Quoting myself here because after the fab advice on Tuesday afternoon I deleted the app that day and still have not reinstalled. It’s the longest I’ve gone in a while and feeling less and less like looking. I have put my current book next to my phone so if I’m tempted during the day to pick it up mindlessly, I pick up my book instead. Working for now

 

[BuffaloSoldier]

Quoting myself here because after the fab advice on Tuesday afternoon I deleted the app that day and still have not reinstalled. It’s the longest I’ve gone in a while and feeling less and less like looking. I have put my current book next to my phone so if I’m tempted during the day to pick it up mindlessly, I pick up my book instead. Working for now

Fabulous news! It certainly gets easier and before you know it you wonder how you ever found the time to scroll for hours

 

[OatMatchaLatte]

I did a social media free January - well, Instagram really as I don't have any others but Facebook, and I never go on there. I went back on Instagram in February, but I'm really questioning why? I'm not interested in most stories. I hate all the ads. I pick up the phone and mindlessly scroll when I'm bored, but to what end? I'll probably go off it again from today. I have a bit of FOMO, as in, what if the show / artists I like post something about an event and I miss out, but I'm sure I'll find out another way.

ETA: I didn't deactivate or delete, I just turned off all notifications and didn't open the app.

 

[hytuhh]

I recently deactivated my Twitter/X account because it just got beyond boring and depressing. I know that's probably due to who I was following, but I would find myself endlessly doom scrolling and I thought would I even miss this if I didn't have it? So that's gone.

Also my personal Instagram deactivated as I didn't even want half of the people I had on there but felt awkward due to knowing them for years, even though I would block them from my stories whenever I posted. I just feel a lot more free now I'm essentially 'off grid' and don't have to keep relations up with people that I have no interest in.

I deactivated my Facebook years ago as well, I would really recommend it because I personally just don't need to see every Tom Dick and Harry throughout the years and it shows who your true friends are, the ones who reach out without you having to post something to remind people of you.

 

[AshMay]

Haven't gone as far as deleting but have definitely limited my use a lot, made easier by the platforms getting worse over time, and just wanting more privacy as time has gone on.

Twitter - still great for news, commentary, and interesting follows but overrun with bots, trolls and engagement farmers now. I follow a select number of people and have a quick look now and then but barely use it and never post anything myself.

Instagam - still the best for my circles of friends but I regularly cull who I'm following and remove a lot of people as followers too as I think why do they need to see my life! I'm quite good at ignoring the explore page and not scrolling reels so I only have a quick look at close friends and family's posts really.

That said I'm still guilty of mindlessly picking up my phone a lot, and when I'm in a scroll hole I do feel more negative/comparing myself etc.

 

[Gossgirl12]

I recently deactivated my Facebook as its literally just full of adverts & news posts which I find extremely boring, I have to skip through about 10 adverts or news stories before I even see a post from a friend. I will admit, I love Instagram so I wouldn't be able to deactivate it, but I do find myself mindlessly scrolling sometimes which makes me feel abit meh & like I could have done something better with my time so I'm going to try and limit my daily use. I don't use twitter & I find tiktok extremely negative & beggy so don't go on there as much these days. It's good to hear other opinions on here & how people feel about it.

 

[Wendo89]

If you delete your tattle account can you still read threads? I know you can’t comment or ‘watch’ without an account

 

[Spectacles]

If you delete your tattle account can you still read threads? I know you can’t comment or ‘watch’ without an account

I think so. I used to lurk on here for ages before I made an account. Just can't like or comment like you said

 

[Wendo89]

Does anyone know how I delete my account on here?! I’ve been trying but can’t figure it out at all. Ta in advance. Need to try and stop being on here so much!!!

 

[Summer2011]

I think I’m done with Instagram, 21 days ago I archived all my posts and deleted my profile photo. Last week I had my hair chopped off and posted a selfie and unarchived 12 of my most recent posts, I have never felt so exposed in my life - I’ve immediately deleted them. This last week, I have no tolerance for any influencers I’m following. I feel like I’m almost ready to delete my account. No point to this post other than as an Instagram wh*re I’m so proud of myself!

 

[Kim Mild]

Does anyone know how I delete my account on here?! I’ve been trying but can’t figure it out at all. Ta in advance. Need to try and stop being on here so much!!!

Can you just log out ? Apparently tattle is closed to new members.

 

[AshMay]

Does anyone know how I delete my account on here?! I’ve been trying but can’t figure it out at all. Ta in advance. Need to try and stop being on here so much!!!

Click on your icon and then 'account details' and at the the top there's a 'your account' button with an option to delete at the bottom.

I believe your posts etc stay up and visible when you delete, but I may be wrong.