Deactivating social media..

[BuffaloSoldier]

I deactivated Facebook and instagram from the new year just for January and it’s done absolute wonders for my mental health, I don’t even feel the need to get either of them back and will continue to be off social media for the foreseeable. I use TikTok now just for a bit of entertainment in the evenings if I’m bored but honestly it’s been great. Feel far more present in life and like I’m doing things for me rather than for social media (sounds ridiculous but have grown up in the putting everything on Facebook turned insta age and it’s wild how much it affects the brain)

I deleted twitter or X in the last general election and have never gone back so I’m hoping it’ll be the same for fb and insta xx

Hi lovely,

I am exactly the same, coming up 30 and feel old before my time with the thoughts that putting EVERYTHING on SM is just ridiculous. The past Christmas I flicked through a few accounts that just uploaded every single thing and you think like really that’s your priority right now I deleted everything off my IG when my little one was around 3 as I know it’s set to private but you’ve really no idea what goes on without you knowing.
I am hoping to stay off it altogether, I know it’s really someone’s highlight reel but that doesn’t help when you’ve had a crappy day mentally and feel burn out from parenting. I’m hoping if I can start reading again it’ll help or I usually just browse here, look at holidays or read blogs for upcoming holiday plans. Plus I’m a student nurse so you’d really think I have no time to doom scroll IG
---

I deleted by FB account somewhere 2016 and never looked back. I’d been in it since the early days 2008ish. For me the turning point was when my boss tried to befriend me on it. I like to keep work and private life separate and there was nothing of the coolness left in FB but that point. The likes mindfuck was doing my head in.

Instagram was in a way easier to delete- I was on/off it 2021 till last autumn. Like you say the endless scrolling and ads became a chore. I did go through a few stages for taking 2-3 week breaks from it by deleting the app off my phone. Eventually I just deleted my account altogether.

I would suggest to think of your ‘why’ and figure out what that is which makes moving on my easier. Think of what you gain out of SM and what the downsides are and whether one outweighs the other. Take care x

Oh gosh yes never mix the two!
I have no actual reason as I never post anything on there anymore, if I want to share something like a memory or anything I have everyone’s number I’d possibly want to send too (if that’s makes sense) and they do the same.. I think you just get into the habit like first thing in the morning, last thing at night etc.. I need to start a new habit like maybe reading a book, using the 30 mins of scrolling to watch an episode of something I enjoy) or just being up before everyone else to have a hot coffee and set myself up for the day.. x

 

[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!

 

[Pinkpenguinx]

I made my Facebook fully private, no profile pic, anonymous name etc years ago. I pretty much keep it deactivated now, the only reason I don't fully delete is I have some of my sons baby photos on there. I know i can probably download them, and will at some point.
Also deleted Instagram at the same time.
I do have an Instagram account now but I don't post anything and follow a few accounts mostly food related sone make up / skin care no one I know in real life.

 

[Stimpii]

Bringing this thread back to life, has anyone been successful in deleting their social media.
My doom scrolling is at an all time high & Christmas has been rough in terms of comparison. I am drained.

I’ve de activated both my Facebook and Instagram over the weekend. I can’t bring myself to ever fully delete them as there’s so many photos that I’d lose.

I know my mental health improves when I use social media less tho. I’ve had a difficult year and felt like being on social media at this time of year was especially hard.

 

[AlwaysSummer]

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

Not sure how practical this would be for you, but I found one of the easiest ways to take a break from instagram was to delete the app from my phone at the start of a holiday/ even if just a staycation. If you tell yourself you are simply doing an experiment/ having a breather it’s easier to resist the initial temptation. Keep yourself busy with other activities for a day or two and suddenly you realise days are gone without you thinking about scrolling. It took a few of these 1-3 week breaks from the app for me to finally deactivate my account.

 

[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]

Haha we must be living the same life as I’m nearing 30 and a nurse too and also decided to stop posting my little ones when my eldest was around 3! It is wild to me I used to post every single detail of my life on social media as a teenager and even in my early 20s when my eldest was born! I value privacy now so much, especially with the kids and now to be honest I’m just not interested in what other people are up to and especially how it effects my mental health when I’m knee deep in parenting, financially ok but still can’t afford a fancy day out every day of the week/brand new clothes/nice things for the kids 24/7 and everyone seems to be doing this that and the other and seemingly giving their kids every second of their time when I’m struggling to split myself in 100 different ways and living off 5p some days! Honestly in the long term you’ll feel a huge weight gone xx

Honestly I can absolutely understand this! I value my privacy even with family or friends too, those that post their ins and outs of their relationship etc, I just couldn’t. I had terrible PND after my little boy and it was heightened by social media, those that had their own babies the same age I used to compare that I couldn’t afford and didn’t have the time to be getting my nails done, couldn’t splash out on shopping trips weekly, didn’t dress my baby in really pricey brands etc. now looking back I was absolutely fine no need to compare and feel rubbish. My baby was healthy, happy and thriving.. that’s what should have mattered. However I was so wrapped up with comparisons and social media that I couldn’t see that. That’s when I knew it had to go and eventually it stopped as I didn’t want my little one on there anymore.

It’s so refreshing and just knowing someone else has gone through that/going through that is the reason I prefer posting here, it feels real and more transparent than SM ever could be.

 

[Summer2011]

Instagram users, how long is your average daily usage?
I've just checked mine and its 2h 6m would like to get it down to under an hour, trouble is the reels, once they suck you in

I have mine set so it times out after an hour which really helps keep me in check!

 

[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.

 

[Summer2011]

I’ve been tracking my screen time for over a year and I’ve just worked out that I spent 39 Days on tik tok last year!!! And that was just tik tok alone. I am actually disgusted.

 

[Kim Mild]

I'm trying to keep off mumsnet. It is all doom , gloom, problems and complaints. My life will be better I'd I'm not exposed to stuff like that. It logged me out and although I can still see everything, I've removed it from my suggested searches so I don't end up mindlessly scrolling.

 

[anonesk223]

I’ve been thinking about this for a while too! I don’t post that much anymore, rarely do stories but I’m definitely guilty of sometimes going to certain places for picture opportunities etc.
I compare myself so much to other people on there as well, like the girls who are stunning and seem to live dream lives.

My boyfriend has stopped going on social media completely, he just doesn’t care and doesn’t miss it at all. I envy him because I know I’d struggle!

 

[Dogtanian]

I've managed to remove (and not re-download) Reddit. That's a big plus for me because I would always be scrolling and finding arguments - which is a drain in itself.
Facebook has finally given me the boot in the ass I needed to stop using it (by making all my feed either sponsored posts or suggested pages/groups). Youtube similar, by having two unskippable adverts before every video I want to watch.
Twitter is a cesspool now and Threads is just boring.
I'm still using Instagram, but at least it seems the least intrusive of the social media's I use.

 

[Summer2011]

I've just deactivated my instagram account and deleted the app from my phone. I need a break and was going to delete it tomorrow but just did it now. I spend far too much time doom scrolling and it's not good for my MH. I successfully deleted Facebook a few years ago so I'm hoping this will be just as easy for me.

I’m proud of you, I have deleted my Facebook today & I have turned all my IG notifications off and praying I can resist!

 

[Spectacles]

Hello,

I’m hoping I can get some advice. I have FB but that’s only used for keeping up to date with local news and companies that advertise through FB. I don’t have my profile visible to anyone.

I’m trying to limit my screen time as I could scroll through Instagram for hours just looking at different things. I have deactivated my profile in the past before Christmas but then re activated it again. Now I’m wanting to kick it all together with IG and not be tempted with going back into it. Just hoping for some advice from those that have successfully deleted it and not gone back.


I’ve found it really dips my mood mentally bring on it.

Thank you so much for any advice and guidance.

Going through the same thing I've scheduled it for deleting completely but keep having doubts. I've deactivated and reactivated it so many times but am pushing myself to delete altogether now. I don't really post on there or interact that much with people as I keep in touch with those via WhatsApp. It does no good for my mental health. Always feel better when I'm off it but feels hard to let go in a strange way. I just end up mindlessly scrolling which makes me feel worse.

 

[Wonka]

I deleted FB and Tiktok just over a week ago and I'm surprised at myself that I've not been overly tempted to redownload them. I do still have insta, but that app was never really one that i was on loads. I find being on my phone really boring now.

I mainly deleted it because I had an incident with a group of rather unpleasant teenagers when I was on the bus with my young children. Not sure why, but it made me realise how before long my children will be teenagers and I was sick of doom scrolling around them and wasting precious time with them.

I will probably go back to FB at some point as I often used it for advice in various different groups, but I will make a new account and won't add anyone so it will be solely used for as and when I need help with something.

 

[NowIsGood]

Took the advice from here and have set my Instagram to an hour and it was such a good idea! It definitely makes me more discerning about what I'm watching and as there's a time limit , I don't want to waste my hour watching people ramble on about boring bs on stories!

 

[BuffaloSoldier]

I’ve been thinking about this for a while too! I don’t post that much anymore, rarely do stories but I’m definitely guilty of sometimes going to certain places for picture opportunities etc.
I compare myself so much to other people on there as well, like the girls who are stunning and seem to live dream lives.

My boyfriend has stopped going on social media completely, he just doesn’t care and doesn’t miss it at all. I envy him because I know I’d struggle!

I could have written this post about myself too! I found after having my little boy I’d be comparing myself constantly to those who were out on play dates with tons of friends, didn’t struggle with their changing body shape, seemed to be keeping on top of their housework etc just fine and never seemed to have a bad day

I’ve managed to deactivate my profile and stay off it completely, I don’t know how I now found the time to go on it trying my hardest with Instagram as I don’t have anything on FB apart from follow a few local farm pages that we visit regularly. Trying my hardest

 

[Summer2011]

Going through the same thing I've scheduled it for deleting completely but keep having doubts. I've deactivated and reactivated it so many times but am pushing myself to delete altogether now. I don't really post on there or interact that much with people as I keep in touch with those via WhatsApp. It does no good for my mental health. Always feel better when I'm off it but feels hard to let go in a strange way. I just end up mindlessly scrolling which makes me feel worse.

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

 

[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.