I Deleted Social Media Apps for 3 Months. What Changed?
In October 2020, I deleted all of the major social media apps from my phone. Now over 3 months later I am not looking back any time soon.
Why the change?
Flashback to October 2020… America was in the heat of one of the most contentious election seasons in our nation’s history. COVID-19 was (and still is) reshaping our economic and political landscape. The US was reeling from a summer of social justice movements that shook up our individual and collective cultural identities.
By October, I was burnt out by the constant inondation of political and cultural messaging assaulting my social media feeds. I would log onto Instagram and immediately be met by rage, misinformation, guilt, virtue signaling, and tone deaf platitudes. I felt a pit in my stomach and a dull ache in my head when I would open up a social media app, but I couldn’t stop myself. Like an addict, I would compulsively check my phone even though I knew it was bad for me.
Two caveats here. First, I already had healthy lifestyle habits in place, and an awareness of how my subconscious urges affected me with regards to social media usage. I don’t use my phone between 8PM and 8AM, and generally have reasonable boundaries set with usage (typically averaging 1:15 - 1:45 of screen time per day, with work-related tasks in the mix). This discipline still wasn’t enough to curb the addiction. Second, I fully acknowledge the positive impact that social media has on spreading awareness for social justice and reform. I am by no means downplaying that, or suggesting that ignorance is bliss.
With inspiration from my wife Nina, I made the (seemingly) radical decision to delete social media apps from my phone until after the election. This change was only supposed to last for a few weeks, but it has had such a profound impact on my life that I do not plan on going back any time soon.
What have I noticed?
At first, it was an adjustment. I would find myself unsure what to do in situations where I would normally mindlessly scroll social media. Often I would pull out my phone and just look at it. I would check the weather or the surf report before putting my phone away, realizing that I was only entertained for about 2 minutes. Previously whenever I checked my phone I had Snapchats, Instagram DM’s, and feeds to scroll. I felt lonely when the only notifications I got were the occasional text or phone call. I would check my phone hours after putting it down and still have no notifications. What was I missing? Was the world going on without me?
Similarly to when I fasted for three days and gained free time when I would normally be eating, I soon realized that without social media, I had at least an hour of free time back under my power each day. If I spend 16 hours awake each day, and at least 8 hours working, this leaves me with 8 hours of “flex time”. Getting an extra hour back each day gives me 15% more time to spend how I wish. For context, an extra hour a day equates to 15 full days (2+ weeks) over the course of a year. 2 weeks! If you had 2 full weeks to do anything you want this year, what would you do?
Outside of the day to day efficiencies, the psychological impacts of this lifestyle change have been even more profound. I feel much less stressed, and much less paranoid. I have virtually broken free of the mania of the 24-hour news cycle, while still managing to remain informed. Deleting social media apps doesn’t mean retreating to living under a rock. It probably took me 2 hours to hear about the US Capitol riot on January 6 after it happened. With 2 hours advance notice, what would I have done differently? What additional information would I have gained? Perhaps this strategy wouldn’t serve me well in a zombie apocalypse or nuclear armageddon, but I’ll take my 2 weeks each year and focus on making the world a better place in the meantime. If you are interested in learning more about the virtues of this type of lifestyle, Tim Ferriss has written extensively about living life on a low information diet.
In the past 3 months, I have taken my power back. I choose how to spend my time rather than mindlessly scrolling. I control the inputs, stay informed and do my due diligence to consider other points of view, rather than abdicating that responsibility to algorithms engineered to addict, polarize, and monetize.
What’s next?
About a month ago, I allowed myself to check Instagram on my computer. I had a handful of DM’s, some comments, a few picture tags, and the odd follow request. I responded and briefly engaged, then closed the tab and moved on. I realized truly how little I was missing. I now check the web-based versions of these platforms once or twice each week, and never on the weekends. The platforms feel far less addictive than their phone app counterparts, and I seldom catch myself scrolling for more than 5 minutes.
I might re-download the apps at some point, but have no plans to do so in the near future. Certainly they have merit if you are marketing a business, but as a casual consumer they are holding me back from reaching my fullest potential.
My hope is that the collective wakes up to the dangers of social networking, and decides to do something about it. I encourage you to watch films like The Social Dilemma, and hear what people like Simon Sinek have to say about the psychological triggers that manipulate our behavior.
Be gentle with yourself, and take it slow. We all deserve forgiveness for falling into the addiction. You might know better, but are you ready to do something about it?
