Well, you all probably saw this one coming!
I am not planning on returning to Insta this calendar year, and I do not have any social media accounts that are active. I have WhatsApp on my phone (and text chains of course) but no other social media options.
(I do not think these are inherently terrible for everyone! I do think they are terrible for some, and some happens to include me — you can hear more details on this recent BLP ep.)
#Op100 refers to my daily goal of less than 100 minutes my phone, using the Screen Time app to keep track. I’m sure I won’t be perfect with this; truthfully sometimes the google maps app trips me up here (though I feel like I could manually subtract those minutes out in good faith!). And FaceTime is worth doing- sometimes I use my laptop for this, but other times the phone is just more convenient.
I am hoping that sticking to this goal leads to more of THE REST OF WHAT IS FUN ABOUT LIFE, such as:
Reading more (more long-form articles, more books – not that 48 is bad, but there are just so many good books out there!)
Watching more good TV/movies
Yoga, stretching, walks
Playing Dr. Mario on the Nintendo Switch (JK. Sort of.)
Organizing (esp in the new house, I am excited to make this space a functional one)!
Hanging out with actual humans (rather than Insta handles . . .)
Drawing / journaling / etc (even with YouTube or a podcast in the background, this activity fills me up better than Insta scrolling)
Here’s to an essentially social media FREE 2022 for me! I don’t think I’ve had a year with no Facebook or Insta since 2005 or so. It’s time.
9 Comments
Currently reading How To Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price and am LOVING it. So many practical suggestions, but also great background into how our phone lures us in so easily.
It’s a small book and a quick read – I’m about 3/4 of the way through and know I’ll be highly recommending it to all my friends!
I read that (maybe 2019?). Agree good but I guess it was not a magic bullet for me!!
I feel like you haven’t said a ton about how you feel being off Insta! Or maybe I missed it. Are you missing it? Did you at first? Have you felt “cravings” to check it? (lol, sounds crazy, but sadly, I think it’s a fair question…haha). I feel that it’s probably an “out of sight, out of mind” thing, or would be for me, based on the times I’ve taken breaks from social media.
I’m still trying to decide if/ what I want to change with my social media usage for 2022…good thing there’s still 12 hours to go. Ha. 😉 I can’t say I feel pulled to completely give it up, but I think the main thing I don’t like is checking it repeatedly throughout the day. I tend to do lots of “quick checks” which makes my brain feel constantly fragmented/ always popping in and out of the apps. That bugs me a lot. I don’t tend to sit and scroll for hours at a time, ever. So I might attempt a “Cal style” approach and try to limit to X number of checks per day or week, or only look at it certain times of the week (scheduled), etc. I don’t know. I think you’ve tried all of these things though unsuccessfully, so maybe I’m dreaming anyway that these approaches will work. Overall time limits for a day aren’t the best for me because until I hit the limit, I can still go in and out for a bunch of brief checks…which I don’t like. (I realize this sounds like I’m not in control of my own actions…what can I say.)
This is me, too! I’m embarrassed, too. You’re not alone!
I did this for 2021 and (mostly) stuck to it although I backslid into occasionally (and then too frequently again) checking instagram in the last couple months of the year. I will be doing this again this year and also instituting more boundaries around when I put my phone completely away. Overall scrolling and in particular social media is a huge net negative for me and it’s no coincidence that in 2021 I read more than I ever have in a year and pursued and cultivated other hobbies of mine that I value more than ever before. For me it’s about creating time and space and also calming my mind which the internet does not do for me and apparently when it comes to my scrolling habits I’m a much better abstainer than moderator.
Anyway. All this to say I’m right there with you and you won’t regret it!
I wish there was a way to mark certain apps to not be counted into the total (for me, maps, podcasts, FaceTime, actual phone calls). Does anyone have a separate app (not the one already on the iPhone) that does this?
Yes! It’s called Quality Time
Like Hilary, I also wish screen time was more customizable. Like I use my phone to read a ton so my stats look awful. But I do very little of the stuff that counts, like social media.
I went off IG/FB on 12/4, right after our son’s birthday. I was already limiting myself to 20 min between those 2 aps but I felt like I needed a clean break. I always give it up for lent but now I don’t know if I will go back. I miss seeing pics of others’ kids and such but overall, I know it’s not something that really brings me joy. It usually makes me fall into the comparison trap. And I often see stuff that drives me crazy, like about Covid. So I am going to continue to stay off.
For those mentioning wanting to customize the screen time app, try the free Quality Time app! I use it track my screen time with chosen apps (phone + maps) removed.